Go ogle
This is a digital copy of a book Ihal was preserved for generations on libraiy shelves before il was carefully scanned by Google as part of a projecl
to make Ihe world's books discoverable online.
It has sm-vived long enough for the copyright (o expire and the book lo enter Ihe public domain. A public domain book is one that was never subject
to copyright or whose legal copyright lenn has expired. Whether a book is in the public domain may vary country lo country. Public domain books
are our gateways to Ihe past, representing a wealth of history, culture and knowledge that's often difficult lo discover.
Maiks, notations and other marginalia present in the original volume will appear in this file - a reminder of this book's long journey from the
publisher to a Iibrai7 and finally to you.
Usage guidelines
Google is proud lo partner with libraries to digitize public domain materials and make them widely accessible. Public domain books belong to the
public and we are merely their custodians. Nevertheless, this work is expensive, so in order to keep providing this resource, we have taken steps to
prevent abuse by commercial parties, including placing technical restrictions on automated querying.
We also ask Ihat you:
+ Make noncommercial use offheffics We designed GoogJe Book Search for use by individuals, and we request that you use these files for
persona] « non -commercial purposes.
+ Refrain from autorrtated queiying Do not send aulomated queries of any sort to Google's syslem: If you are conducting research on machine
translation, optical character recognition or other areas where access to a large amount of texl is helpful, please contact us. We encourage the
use of public domain materials for Ihese pur|X)ses and may be able to help.
+ Maintain aHiibaiion The Google "watermark" you see on each file is essential for informing people about this project and helping them find
additional materials through Google Book Search. Please do not remove it.
+ Keep it legal Whatever your use, remember that you are responsible for ensuring thai what you are doing is legal. Do not assume thai just
because we believe a book is in Ihe public domain for users in the United States, that the work is also in the public domain for users in other
countries. Whether a book is still in copyright varies from country to country, and we can*t offer guidance on whether any specific use of
any specific book is allowed. Please do not assume thai a book's appearance in Google Book Search means it can be used in any manner
anywhere in the world. Copyright infringement liability can be quite severe.
About Google Book Seareh
Google*s mission is to organize the world's information and to make it universally accessible and useful. Google Book Search helps readers
discover the world's books while helping authors and publishers reach new audiences. You can search thi-ough Ihe full text of this book on Ihe web
at http: / /books ■ google ■ com/
('//■'•Til
HARVARD COLLEGE
LIBRARY
1- •<
•'W.l
rmoH TBE etvuKsT or
JAMES WALKER
(Ob* of 1^14)
" P i Bfci M hnm fm ta ■ ■fa 1b Iha IwlplUpval
';.'
I'l \u
-I'll '^^ji- J' '*',}'''l^ri>fl-/>3
THE SCALE OF
PERFECTION^*
THE SCALE OF
PERFECTIONjI
^JHE SCALE (OR LADDER)^
' OF PERFECflOr^ Written by
WALTER HILTON^^ With an
Essay on The Spiritual Life of Me-
diaeval England by the Rev, J. B,
DALGAIRNS, Priest of the Oratory
MoA«a plus profcdt \n monte adorando quam
muhiiudo mas'^a beilantium
A NEW EDITION
WESTMINSTER
ART AND BOOK COMPANY
38 ASHLEY PLACE
190B
-'- ■' ■--..-.
.......
^^<>UcLf..^
* EDCJARDUS,
PUBLISHERS' NOTE
Of all the old Enp:lish ascetical worka which
were extant before the Reformation ncne have
fnainiained their reputation longer than Walter
Hilton's *' Scale of Perfection," Hilton was a
canon of Thurgarton in Notlinghamshire, and
died in 1395. His "Scale of Perfection" is
found in no less than five MSS. in the Bntisb
£pluseuin alone. Wynkyn de Worde printed it at
least three times — In the years 1494, 1519 and
IJ35. Many other editions were printed at the
dame period.
After the Reformation it was a favourite book
of Father Augijstine Baker's, the well-known
author of " San eta Sophia/' and his comments
on it are among his MSS. at Downside. In
1C55 Father Baker's biographer and cditon Dom
Serenus Cressy, O.S.B,, published an edition of
the "Scale/' the title-page of which claims that
"by the changing of some antiquated words [it is]
rendered more inlelligiWe." Another edition
appeared in 167J, and yet another in 1679.
Within our own times two editions have been
published — one by the late Father Ephrem Guy,
vl
Publisheps' Note
O^S.B,, in i86g, the other, a reprint of Cressy's,
in 1870, with an introduction by Father Dal-
gaims on the " Spiritual Life of Mediaeval
England." Cressy's text has ag^n been used in
the present edition, and Father Dsilgaims's
Essay b also reprinted in this volume.
tHAmit
CONTENTS
An C^sav on the Splritj&l Life of McJtacv&L
£n^ld-nd .« ... ..■ -.. >■• >b
riita
THE FIRST BOOK
PART I
L That the toward Statt of the Soul ahoultJ be Itto
Ibc outward ,.. .,. h^h i
tL Of the Active Life, and tbe Ex«rc]*» *nd the
Wurka ihtraof ... „. ,,. ... .., 3
UL Of IhE ContvinpUiivc Lifci and tbe E3rGrt:ls«9 &nd
Workn ibereof .., 3
IV. Of thre^ Sorts that be of Conteinplalioii, and of
tfae Fiiat of ihenj... -, , ,,- 4
V. Of th« Sec^ond Sort oi Contemplalion t
VI. Of ttiE Lower Degree of Ibe Second Sort gf Con-
tcmplaLlDii ., ... ... ... ... ... ^
Vn. Of the Higher Degree of the Second Sort of Con.
tentplation... ... , B
VIIL Of ttc Thin] Sort of Contemplation 9
IX Of the DilTerrnH that is betwixt Ihe Second and
Third Soft of Contemptaiion ... ... .„ 10
3L How thai Appcarirg-i or Shewini^s lo the Corporal
Senses or FeeCingi may be bolh gvod and
evil... 12
3CIi How Ihoki Ahalt know wbethcr (fee Shawin^ or
Apparition to llic bodil/ Senaes And Feelinj^a
be good orevil ... .r. ... .,. ij
XtL How and in what things a Contemplative Man
should be buried-.. ... .„ ,., ,,. 17
XHL Bow Virtue bEginnelh in Reason And Will And is
perteded m Love and Liking, or Atledion ,„ |g
XIV* Of Ibc McBDv Lbiit bring » Soul to Conkniplation ig
^[
"^^^^^^^1
■
I^^^B^^^^^^^^^^^^H
m
H vlU
Contents 1
^^^^^^ ottmiii
PAD*
^^^^L
(i) WhHt ■ M\n should use and refuse by Ihe
^^^^^^^B
Virtue of Humitily ,,. ,,,
1»
^^^^^^M
\t\) How Hypocriics and Horel^cEi, for want of
^^^^^^H
HuinUi[>'4 cunU thcoisclvca ld Lbcir Hcacis
^^^^^F
&bovc olhtia 4.. ... .,, .4. ...
i6
^^m xvL
Of a firm Faith nrcri^ar^ Ihcrflo, and what
^^H
thin^ we ou^Eit Lo bellrve [hereby
^9
^H
or B firm and resoluLe Imcnt snd Purpcae
^^B
DFCe^sarj Lhercta ,, ,
3t
^H xviji.
A bnef Kehcar^ of what halh becTi snidy and of
an Offering laadc of ibcm altogclhcr to
^^b^
J«3iia .., ...
U
^^^^
PART n
^^^^
(i) Of Prayer, *nd Ihe several Sorla Thers&f
(^) Hew they abould do ihal arc troLiblcd with
34
^^1
vain TboLigtiE:! in tbcir Prajcra
4>
^^1
(ij Of Mcdililion
(iij Of divcn Tcmptaliona of the Eflcmy, *nd
45
^^^^H
the Remedies against them...
49
^^^H
That a Man should know the rnea.<ure af his
Gin. that he may duijc anJ take a bcLt«r
^^^K
wbcn God i^iveth it .,, .t. *.. ,..
S5
^^^P
PART iir
^^^p
or the Knowlcdi^^c of a Nfan'a Roulj and tba
^^^r
Fowcrj thereof necesaarj" to ConEemplation
57
^^B
Of the Warthinei* and Excellency of Lh« Soul
^^H
and how it was Jasi ...
J9
^^P IlL
[i) Thar a Man shmild b? indu^riouA to recover
again bis ancifnl DigniEy, and reform
within him ihe Iina£-e of the THnily, and
^^H
hoiv It may be done ... , . ... t..
65
^^H
(il) That Lhis Dignity and Imagv i* rettcrf<[ by
^^^^B
Jesusi and bow He la to be desired, sought
^^^B
and found .,. ... ...
66
^^M
(1) Of the Ground and ImaK-e uf Sin in d», whkb
is 5r»t to be fa^md out and Laboured
^^B
agaiAtt, and hovr it la to be done ... ...
74
^^1
(fl) Wbat the seid Imnge of Sin is, properly, and
i
tfthat CODietb out ot it,,^ »
i
■
^^^^^^■1
^H
^1
^^^^^^^^^^^1
1
\ Contents
^^H
^^^^^^H
"^
{*] Of the Seven Deadly Sirn, incl finrt fff PriJe,
ivhal ■( IS. and i\hen it is.& deadly Sia and
^^H
wta«a buT venial ,„ ... ..,
^^^1
(ii) Hair Pnclc In Herclla And In Hjpocrile* I*
deadly Sin t.. ,„ .,
^^H
Ciii) A sh'Mt Ethoriaiion lo HumlMl/ mnd
^^^^^H
Cliariiy, Willi a Conclusion how h Man
^^^^^H
may kn<iw lion* mucb ?ndc he halb in tilin
^^^^1
f "■
pj Of Envy and Wrath and Thtrir BmricTiM, and
haw. inslead of Sin, the Persoa i^ onEH
L
baitrd
^^^^1
L
(u) Thai it Is a Mastftr^ and noble Skill ittlove
^^^^H
^K
M«n^t P?rson«. and yet wisely to bate their
^^^H
■
Rm-i, and lipw ...
^^^1
^
0u] Haw a Man shnll hnc^r haw much Wmlh
L
and Envy is bid In Ihe ground of hla
^^^^^^1
^K
Heart, and hortr he may Linotv whplher be
^^^^^^M
^P
loT« hi^ Enrmif*, ;ii\'<i rhe Examples we
^^^^^H
^
h^vn iheifofin our Saviour.
^^H
vn.
Of Covet ou^nvss, and haw a Man may know hov
~^^H
much of it IS liid in bis Heart
loj ^^^^^^H
VIIL
(i) Of Gluttonv, and how a Man ahal] knoir when
he sinnelh not in EaEing find Dnnkin^t and
^^H
when be vianelh vealally, and VFh«ii deadly
^^^H
(3) That a Man should hs busy lo put away and
^^^^H
brnder alt Maiiori^ ai Sm, but more busy
^^^^^^1
a]»ul those of Spij-itual Sins than those of
^^^^^^1
Bodily
^^H
Oil) Whai Rcmedya Man i1ii:»L]rd use against lbs
^^H
Faults in Ealing and L^Trinking: .>, ,>■
1)3 ^^^H
IX.
Of the rive WindD<V4 of ihi« dark Ima^, and
what eomcih In by [hem, and how they are
^^M
to bcordered ... ...
"s ^^^H
X.
Of another Ha1« orWindoiv Ehalia to be stfipped
as Well a^ Ihe VVindnw^ of Ihf ben^ea. vi;..
th« Ima^nalion
lit ^^^^^1
XL
A Brief ReUcanal of what hath been saM m the
former Chapter*. uwUh a I'orlriLilure &f this
^^H
dark lm;<ge ct >iii
tsi ^^^^^H
XII.
A cctnpurintr of iMa linaee with the Image of
^^^^H
Jei\i«, ai^d liQW it is to he dciill n'ilh
^^^^1
xin.
How a Man ih^ll he ihaper lo ihe Imn^e of
^^^^^M
^
itsus« aad Jcaiiis ahapcii in iiui
130 ^^^H
^^M
^^^^^^^^1
^^^^■^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^H
Contents
^B cwT-m
r^m
^H XIV,
«^ < nx MBdr, «a4 bow •he for «bam il
^^^B
mi ude vss 1» ^Bke ^ ttf it
'3'
^^^
^
^^1
THE SECOND BOOE
1
^^B
FART 1
1
^H
S«l »Bd HC sfirr ttic Bcdj ; and bQV h«
^^H
■■liitiHiTfttij 'ill
>33
^^^H
(E) Tb4t J«wi wd Pann* ind ftlka blse Chri*-
lixns are oot rrfomn} cflinrriiairj ihrou^
^^^H
^^^1
tbciinue of Ibc I^bs»cd through tbcirtiwn
^^^H
FadIis ,,,
137
^^1
Of iwo AlAnntn of Rfformrnp of ibis Ima^, onr
^^^^
in lU^ne?kS, anofber In p^rt „.
140
^^^^H
Tlut RFformin^ in pirt i4 in (no nannm, one
^^^^^^ft
in FaitFk, anothfr to FreLng..-
M3
^^^^1
Tb>1 thrCM^h trip Sjif:fADm>I ol Bipiiim f nhich
ia ^rDi;ndft! in [far Pa£«ion of ChriMj liiis
^^^^^^1
^^^^^^1
Jmagc IS rcfcnDTd frum Ori^nAl S^n ...
"44
^^^^1
Thai throne^ 'he Sicrament of Ptnanw (thai
cooajslelh in C'DolrilLoa. Confe&sjOM and
Stl^fHOioD) tbis linage is refonocd from
^^^^^^P
Actual Sin .^4 ^4' -■> .-■
MS
^^^H
TbjJ vic arc to believe stnlf&itly (be tcfarmtng
oftbi^ Ima^, ifour Con^icncc witncu lt>
ufl a full forsaU'in^ c( h>iii| and a true lum-
^^^^^K
iagof Qur U iLJ lo ^cod living
150
^^^K
TtHt »]t Ibe "^oub Ihal live humbtf iq the F«ith
of Holy Clturch, aiid hBTe their {''ailti eri-
livpTiM wiTli Love and Cbarity, betcfortned
^^^^^^^P
^^^^^^^
by Ihi9 Sacmmrnt, (linug^h it be fmj that
^^^^^L
Ihcy cannui fed tlic ^pccl^ll ^'H of Devotion
^^^^r
or of spirilua.! fccJinj- ,.. .-,
<5J
^^B vuL
Thai Sojh reformed need ever to fg'tit and nirive
againM the Molion^ of Sin while Ibey live
here. And how gi Soul niny know when
ahe aasenlclb to tht&e Motions, and whtn
^^^B
not
'55
^H
Tbal this IrnR^e U bolh fair Vnd faul Vfhi]>d il is
in (tu!t Life hcrci Ihough it b< reformed;
and of the DifTecenceH of (he terref F«eU
in^K of rhn&e thai be refonned and %\iO&t
^^
tbal be not
i6u
J
Contents
XI
QUma
i>u>
n.
f")
or Ibrcr HJrts of Mcnt wTitreof ?onic bt aoi rt-
faniicd. And some be rcformeti only In
FfiiEh, irad &o(nc boTh in F»iEti anU Feeling 164
XI. How Men cIiaI jtbicle and li\c m S'ln, mis-sliapf:
themselves mlo I he Jikcricaa of diver?
Bra.«(^, and (hey be called ihc Levers of
the World 165
XII* OJ How Lovefi ofthifl World in divers ways dia-
enabl? thcmae[f» fnjni becoming rcl^rmed
in their Sdu]« ,., ,.. .., ... . . 169
A link Coiin«l ht>w Lovers of thl'i World
Bhoutd do, it ihey will be reformed In their
£Dbl( before Ihejr depanune henc:e,., ,. IJi
PART Jl
0/ Jif/oftiitig IP* Faiik and ^reling also.
That [his Refonuln^ cannot be suddenly ^tlcnt
but in lrr»}^h <if Timr, by Griice, and much
SplrilLial and Corporal Industry ,.^ ,,. 174
(ij The Cau5C4 wliy sc few Souls \u tcmparison
ol Ihc MuLuiudc of others^ come ia this
RefDrming iLat ia bolb in Failb and
Feeling „. „ ... ... ,.. 176
(ii) Udw thftt ivithoLiE grent Corporal and Spiri-
tual tiidMslry, and uiiliotil much Grace and
Humilily, SouU cannol come [o rtformlnff
in Feeling nor keep Ihemsclven therein
afccr itiey come Ehcrcto ... ... ... idi
Jll- An Entry or good Beginning of a SplriEual
Joumevn jiho^ing how a Suul Jihould be-
have hcrarif lu InlcndiH); anJ M'orkin^ ihat
tFiLl came I0 Ibis KeiDrminj:;, by example of
a PiJjj^m fioifg to Jerusalem lS6
|Vi or certain Temptations and LeliinKS which
Souls feel from tLif^r Spirilual £nemic&, in
Ibeir Spirilual knowing and gr^ng loward«
JerLi4fl]eni, and ihp Remedies agnin^l \\\etn T9J
V. Of &n tvil Day and a ^^ Nig;ht, and wbat (hfly
mean, :ind how <he Love oi the Warld il
likened ro an Fvil Day, and Ihc lovc of God
Id a good Night ... ..^ ... .'- 19A
VI, How tha.F the De.iitre nf Jr^uq Feft in \\\\^ It^ht-
lome U,irknes*i ilayclh all Maiion.q ol' ^Ln,
and enabti^Ui the Scul (0 percave spiritual
Lightnings fnim the heavenly JerLLaakoit
tUt b, Juui J04
xtl
Contents
OUPTKB
VIL ITonr m. Man thai Unow FaTte IllumTnatfoTis, that
are (cigTied by the Hncm/i From llie Irue
Lighl of knowing (hat romclh out of Jesus,
anj bj what tokens ... .., ,..
VIIL How gTtJiC profit it ls lo the Soul to be broui^ht
[hrdugh Grace into li^ht^ame OArknets,
■.nd how a Man ^hall diipow bLmaelf if b*
Will come ihErelo .,, ...
DC Thai \he Working^ of our Lord Jesus in the Re-
forcning^ of a Soul, is divided inlo four
Iirnes» ft'hLch Are : CalJinf, Jusiifying,
Magnifying- and Glorifying .,.
X. How it fnllcth Qui sometLmes that Soula Ehiil ora
but bef^innin^ or prdiittng in Grace seera
to havr morp Love, xs to outward tokens
thereof, tban aomt liAve Eliai be perfect,
&nd Jet k ii not reolLj it in their Inlerior,.,
XI. After wlut manner a Man <hall eome to know
his own Soul, and how a Man should act
his Love ia Jeans, God adU Mao in ana
Pertm
PART III
L la what 5ensc this Manner of Spcak^ng^ of R<s
forming of a Soul m Feeling id to be under-
■to«cl i nrid in what Mann<^r iL ia rrformcd,
and how it i« found in St Paul'i Wnting-i
tl. Row Gixl opeTielh the inward Eye of the Soul to
dec l)]ni| aal aU at once, but b_v diven
limea, &nd of 1.hrec Mannrra of rcfarming
of a Soul explained by a Tamiliar KicampLe
IlL How Jesus is He^Lven to the Soul, and wh/ He is
called Fire --. ,., ... .-h
IV, Of two manner of Love*, crrattd and Lincrtoted,
and how we are bound to Jove Jesu!i much
fir our Creation ; bul more for our Kc-
dempiion ; and idotiI of all for otir Salva-
tion, through the gifts of Hia Love ,.,
V. How that »ome Soul* love Jmus by bodUy
Fervours, and by their awv hunmri Affco-
lion* thai ere moved by Grace and by
Reason. And how «ome love Him more
qjielly by splntunl AfFtfclion* ojily mov^d
inwardly Ihrougti spinlual Grace of the
Ilol/Gbobt .,
-intents
xiit
^
VL Thar [ht nin or Love. UTicng-it ad other Gifti or
Jca\is, is nioAl worthy and moil prafiiable.
And bow Jcbu^ doih ±11 thai is well done in
His loTcrS) only far Love. Ard how Love
fOAketli the exercise af a.i\ Virtuca &ad »U
good Dwda light and easy ... ... ,„ t^
How Love ihrrjuE^h g^racioua Beholding of T«m
Alajcth aIJ »llrrln^ of Pride ^ and niAkelb
the Soul lo lose the savour and deUgbl in
all earthly Honours -.. ,., 35S
VIH. tlofp Lave ftlayerb all sLimn^ of WnLlh and
Envy eaaily i and rcforineth In tbc Soul
tht Virtues nf Peace and ['atience, and of
perfect Qha,n\y Iq hia NeJgbbour, aa He
did ipecialJy in rbe AposHes .,. ,., 164
How Love alayelb Covclousneaa. Lrcherj and
Glulfonv, and the Hc^ihTy delight and
savour m all the live Bodily Senses, softiy
and cBiily, Ihrough a ^racinui beholdiriff
of Jmub . 30f
Wbat Virtuu and Gtaces a Soul receive lb
thfOiig^ opening of the mii«r eye into tbc
Urariaui t>eholdin^ of Je>(ii4, and hoir it
cannot be jjotlen only by man'a labour, but
throng special grace and hla own Uboiir
»1» ■■ ' '■ ■' " 373
How such apeeial Grace for the Beboldin^f of
□ur Lord Jenui m wifbdrawn samelimei
from a Soul i and how a Soul la to Behave
bcr^df m the Absence and in the Presence
of Jc9U3, and how a Soul shall alwaya dc-
•ire (aa much aa is la bn-) tbe gradoua
Proence of Jesus ... .„ -.. ... aSi
A CoitimcncJfllion of Prayer offered apto Jcius
by a CoFi^cmplarive Soul, and bow slable^
neai m Prayer is a 5i:cure worU to &land
in; and how euery Feeling- of Grace in a
choseft Soul may be called jetua- But Ihe
mare dean Ihe Soul is, die more wonhy
the Grace Li ... ... ,., 1B8
XTH' Httw a SouJ tbroti^b the opening of Ibe sprritual
Eye r«ceive(h a ^rachou^ Love enabling to
urdertTf^nd ihe Holy Scnpturea : anj ^ow
Jesu9. fhai ts hid in the Holy bcriptures.
sbowetb Him&cir lo His Lovcn .„ .,. 4^4
^^B xfv
^^^^^^^^^1
^^^H^^^^^^^^^^^^^^H
Contents 1
^^^H CHArTKH
™
^^1 XIV.
Of Ibe secret Voice or Jcsu> aoundirE" in a Soul,
anil how it may be ^nown. And how all
the ^raciDuq hluminaTionS made ia a Soul
^^H
be called ttie Speakings of jesua ^
301
^^m
(i) How through gfraoiou!* Opening of ihe Spir3-
liiAl Eyp a Soul ia made Wi^ie, htimbly and
truly m 5Fe the ii\\erR'lt^e.*^ of Itcerees in
HoJy Church, aa Miliuni. and for lo see
the nature of Angels; and JiraL of the
^^^^^
Reprobate ^, ...
3^
^^^1
(ii) How by The same li^t of Grace Ihe >'atiire
^^^H
cif the hlF<i>ie[1 Angela b *iefii- And huw
^^^H
Jeaua 13 God and Man above all Crealurcst
^^^m
ticcording to ihat rth'ich the SouL ra&f ueo
^^H
of UiiQ h«ra .,. ^.. ... ... ...
307 J
^H
01
i
^H TREATISE WRITTEN TO A DEVOUT MAN 1
^^H
Thai he who intends lo became a Spinlual Man
must first uae mncli Bodil/ l^xen^ise in
'
^^H^
FenflDce, and in Destroying of Sin
315
^^^H
To what kind of Men tht Active Life peitaineth
3»
^^^H
To whom the Contrmplallve Life appcrtainelh,,.
3xt
^^^H
To ^bofn appcrtaiFieth the Mixed Life ... ...
3"a
^^^r
How holy fijshopi held and u^ed Ihe wd Uixrd
^^^M
Life .,
3M
^^1
Wbat kind of Life was most fitting for biim ior
^^^H
whom rhin Treatise win made
3n
^^B
TbaL a Man's Devotion sometimes will be (he
H^realcr h^ reason of fhc outward Work
urhicb berore out of Chanty he hath been
^^^^
in hatid with .,. ..
3J4
^^B
Wliat the Dcalfc t»f God for Himself U| and how
thai in Cleanness of Conscience is found
^^^P
true Comfort and Sweetness .■. ...
337
^^r
How Lhou shall DispQiie Ehse to Devotion
J4»
^^1
liow A Man is to Thiak on Ibe Humanity of
^^^H
ChriMt .., ,^ .,
344
^^1
Hoh a Man shall tklnk on Vittuea uid upon the
^^^H
Saints .. ... .„ .). ... ...
34s
^^B
Hon A Man thai! think of (he HoLines* or our
i^
Lord JcBUS and of our Blcjascd Lady
Wti j
Contents
XV
atxrrvt
Xttt,
XIV,
XV-
XVL
Of seeing and bcholdinj^ (lie Power (by some
ecnaiiJeration i>r tbinUin^^i the ^^ iaJom)
ibq Goodnen and the Msrcy trf God in
His Crealjres ...
How tbe ContidcratiDH and Ihinking Dn Ihe
Jiliicries and Prril* cf ibis Life It ppl to
breed in n soul ibe Dciiire of Heaven ..^
How a Man sliall do vihea he ffeletb na Imste
par c^mfon in bis Menial Excrcisei ,..
What a Maa la to lake heed of in bis Prayers
and Med I lai ions
rA«
3M
34S
35«
as I
ERRATA
^A£* '33i heading:, rrtutthc Second Book) PatI I.
Page 234, lire 9, /tr far no^for.
PjLgea V37'3i<>j headlinci, /^ Th« Third Book nad
Second Book,
The
THE SPIRITUAL UFE
OF MEDIAEVAL ENG-
LAND > > ^
AN ESSAY
on
ihe
Spiritual Life of Mediaeval England
It is only very gradually that we are obtaining-
& real knowledge of the Middle Agea. Hitherto
Tl has beer one of those subjects which no one
could approach without getting irlo a passion.
Just as no one can talk soberly of Marj-, Queen
of ScotSj so it would appear as if few could keep
their tempers in speaking or writing of the
medieval time. The fact is that it is only by
little that we can understand a period so very
different trom our own. A chaotic time is always
1 lime of great contrasts, when profound igno-
rance exists side by side with considerable learn-
ins in individual instances, when herssies are
wild and monstrous, while failli is touchingly
amiple and devoted. The real difficulty is to
estimate the condition of the masses. It requires
i patient spirit of research into mmute details
and dry statistics, united with a reverential ad^
Duration, a sifting criticism as well as a devout
imagination, to avoid overweij^hting isolated
"Stances and attaching undue importance to
outstanding and striking features. I am not
goiTt^ to enter upon this dangerous ground. My
^\y anxiety is to protest against what I cannot
Ittt consider a great error^ both historically and
ecclesiastically, the assumption that the Middle
Aj*5 are the model time of Christianity. It
u
The Spiritual Life
matters little what a man thinks about mediaeval
architecture, vestments and embroidery, but it
does matter a good deal what principles a man
holds as !o what may be called the philosophy of
Church History- If he conceives the grand story
of God's Church as though it were a pyramid, the
apeit of which is formed by the Middle Ag^s,
while modem Christendom is oti the downward
side, then his whole view of Christianity is
wrong. The Church never grows old, and it has
advantages in the nineteenth century which it
had not in the thirteenth. What, however,
strikes a student of history most forcibly is that
the more minutely we know the ages which are
past, the more we learn the oneness of the spirit
amidst all outward differences of form. We are
every day obtaining more knowledge about the
Middle Ages. Much has come to light since,
thirty years ago, I wrote some *^ Lives of English
Medieval Saints" at Littlemore, and, little as I
have been able to follow the progress of history
since then, I have seen enough to acknowledge
that recent publications have brought with them
tlie convictiun that there was far more interior
and mystical life amongst our ancestors than
appeared at first sight.
Very much has been done for us by such
learned bodies as the Early English Text
Society, and by such men as Pfeifler in Germany
and Lecoy de la Marche in France. Now we not
only possess sennons like those of St Bernard
addressed to monks in the cloister, but we have
the identical vernacular sermon which roused to
passionate grief the mediaeval sinner, and drew
tears of sweet devotion from the eyes of the
citizens of Cologne, Paris and London, or the
peasants of country parishes in the Black Forest
of Mediaeval Eng'Und
ill
or the Weald of Kent. We have the English
prayers which were said before the Rosary was
invented, and the devotions which toiiched the
hearts of men and women living in the midst of
that world which seems so strange and so far off
to us. I must confess that without anydeprecia-
Iton of our grand old Cathedrals, *'The Wooing
of our Lord" and "The Ancren Riwle" have
more charms for me than a thousand painted
windows. 1 know the thoug-hta which flowed
from hearts which have long since ceased to beat,
and I can understand, as I never did before, the
grim old warriors and their wives who look so
unearthly side by side upon their tombs. One
touch of grace makes me feel akin to them.
The perusal of this liierature has, however,
far more than a sentimental interest. It has now
become simply ludicrous to look upon the devo-
tional ideas of the Middle Ag'es as made up of
indulgences and gifts to manastcries. These, of
course, had their right place^ as they have now;
but, if ever it was doubtful, no one now can
doubt that the mediaeval sinner knew quite as
well as the gentleman of the nineteenth century
that if he offended God and did not resolve never
lo offend Him again, he would infallibly be lost,
though he left all his lands lo the neighbouring
convent. Priests might sing Requiems, and
ruins might recite their Office, but nought could
avail the impenitent before the judgement seat of
Christ, If any man doubt it, let him read a ser-
mon preached by Bi?rthold of Regensburg, some-
where near Toggenburg or Sargans, not far from
Tvhere the railway now skirts the lovely lake of
Wallen. The barefooted Franciscan introduces,
in his dramatic way, a man who had kept posses-
sion of ill-gotten gains rising up in the midst of
the congregation J and sayings **Ho! Brother
Berthold, 1 have done good to the brotherhood,
and I make my coiifn'ssion ev*?ry year; I have
often entertained you at my house i I am in the
confraternity, and have besought your prayers*
that when I am dead you may watch over my
body with aorig and kclions." "Thou hast done
well," is the Broiher's answer, **and as soon as
thou art dead we will sing for thee, and read long
vigils, and chant beautiful Masses for thy soul,
and loud Requiems, and bring thee in procession
from thy parish church into our minster, and lay
thee before the altar. But, I tell thee, if thou
hast not restored what thou hast robbed, then, if
all the tears and the raindrops which were ever
shed or rained since the world began were turned
into monks and brothers, grey monks and black.
Preachers and Minorites — yea, into patriarchs
and propheLSj martyrs and confessors, widows
and virgins, and if they were to read and to sing-
and weep tears of blood before God for thee to
the day of judgement, they would do thee no
more good than if the}' did all Ihts for the foul
fiend-" Such was mediaeval doctrine in the year
1256. Moreover, it results from many hitherto
unknown dccuments, that there was much more
of what we should now call spirituality every-
where in the Middle Ages than even Catholics
were disposed to think. It is even plain that
nations were not reduced to one uniform stan-
dard. There was, for instance, a type of devo-
tion which was peculiarly English, and the
object of the present e5^ay is to point this out,
Uf course, 1 can only treat the subject cursorily,
for want of space, and I will confine myself to
one portion of mediaeval life intimately connected
I
I
of Mediaeval England
I
with the book which is here presented to the
reader*
Very little is known of Waller Hihon, the
author of the "Scale or Ladder of Pertection/"
It is very likely that more might be known If
any one took the trouble to search the manu-
scripts of the British Museum. tiomething-
perhaps also might be done towards amending
the text of this book if the edition of it^q, of
which this is a reprint, were compared with th^
old black letter of Wynkyn de Worde, The
present edition,* however, has solely a spiritual,
not a critical object, and^ therefore, 1 confine my-
self to the little which lies on the surface of
history about this mystical writer, without in-
quiring* further, Fortunatelyj Father Guv has
lately, in hi*i excellent ecHtion of "Tlie Scale of
Perfection," thrown light on the life of Walter
Hdton, by proving- that he did not belong'
to the Carthusian Order, but was a Canon
of Thurgarton, in Noltirgh am shire. Tanner
had already puhliahed an extract from a manu-
script, which gave 1395 as the year of his death.
No one, however^ hail as yet perceived that this
fact disproves the ordinarv account of his having
been a member of Henry Vl's Carthaaian
monastery at Sheen, since that house was roc
founded till several yecirs later. It might still
be argued that he belonged to some other house
of the Order. As, however, there is no authority
for his having been a Carthusian except the
erroneous account of his having belonged to
* li «l)«u]d be remembervd thhC Ihr book ^ii« wriUpa in Ihe
IburtHitih eenitiij. and The Trader muii expect inaccuradcn
latrich vouJd not be lolcrHled hgw. For inslancCi I wuu[d
Mniion Lhc aotbur'a \icwti about the sinv of licntbcnSi and
Htwle^iutc aoticna of the Sacnincnt nf Penuiu.
VI
The Spiritual Life
Sheerij and as the passage quoted by Tanner
distinctly affirms him to have died at Thurgar-
ton, Faiher Guy seems to me to have sufficientlv
proved his point. It is not hard to see how the
mistake? arose. Walter Hilton had evidently a
^eat devotion to the Carthusian Order, and
there is stiil extant in manuscript a panegyric
of it, addressed to Adam Horsley, an officer of
the King's Exchequer, wbo by his advice be-
came a disciple of St Bruno.* On the other
hand, we shall presently see abundant proof that
the devotion of the Cattliusians to Walter Hilton
was no less great There was something in the
" Scale of Perfection " wliich attracted the monks
whom the Christian instincts of Henry VI planted
in the neighbourhood of his palace of Richmond,
as well as Their brethren of the Charterhouse,
who kept up a witness for God in the heart of
London,
There is, however, an especial reason why the
book should have found its way to Sheen. We
know from Dugdale thai a benefactor of the
monastery had assigned out of the manors of
Lewisham and Greenwich twenty marks a year
for the maintenance of an anchoret, whose cell
was in its precincts. Thus there dwelt in the
midst of Che Carthusians one of those recluses
to whose instruction the book is dedicated, and
a description of whom will form a considerable
part of this easay,
Now it is not a little strange that a la
portion of English vernacular literature has
direct reference to this form of the solitary life-
.DJe
" This Ircntiae cjii^ls in raiariiscn'pt in ihc library nf Mcrion
Cctlli^ge. Mr Bli^Sj one of the librarians of ihc Bodletnn, h&s
kindly i-kainiiktfd it, and ASSureH me Ihut il iiOAUere icnplicfi tlul
Hilton hiratpir belonged to the Ord#r. ~
dF Mediaeval England
vU
We possess, be>ti<I«?s Hiiion's *'ScaIe of Perfec-
tion," two other most remarkable books, ad-
dressed to or written by anchoresses. They
will serve as specimens of the spiritual life of
OUT ancestors at several very striking; periods.
It is very remarkable that the most startling'
form of the life of the desert saints should have
continued in England up to the very moment
of the Reformation, The Anchorets or An-
choresses (for there were solitaries of both
sestes] were more lonely than hermits in the
sense that they were far more of recluses. The
hermit livedo it is true, in an out of the way
place, in a forest, or in one of those many un-
cultivated spots of which an English common
or down are the sole relics, but which were
easily to be found in a country not yet entirely
cultivated; while the anchorets were commonly
attached to a church, and were thus not far &om
their fellowmen. They were, however, immured
within the four walls of their habitation, while
the hermit was a free denizen of the woods.
As we know from St Godric, he might have
his garden and his cow- The anchorets, on
the contrary, were strictly confined to their
cells. They were the descendants of solitaries
like St Thais and those other recluses of whom
we read in the annals of the Nile desert, who
were strictly shut up in their hut and only held
conversation with ethers through a window,
which also served as a passage for their food.
This sort of life, then, was by no means peculiar
to the Oriental contemplative who iled from the
old worn-out world of a decrepit civilization.
The ftame taste for solitude in its most extreme
form was a part of the young and vigorous life
of tho^e Teutonic nations whom Christianity
vUl
The Spiritual Life
I
converted after the Roman and Hellenvc cul-
ture had disappeared. While the blood of the
old Viking's wits Btiil fresh in their veins, men
and women left the brllljant and varied world
of the Middle Ages, which was still full of life
and movement, to shut themselves in a cell,
with no pro*^pect but the black yews and crosses
of the church-yard. This was a solitude far
deeper than that of the great monasteries, each
of which was a little world. It is evident that
these recluses were by no means rare. There
is many a foundation on record for the per-
petual entertainment of a recluse,* Several
Pontificals contain a recfular office for these en- H
closures. Very often the anchoret was a chap- ^
lain attached to a church, who said Mass in
his celL The anchoress was more commonly
near a church, into which she could look through
A window, and thus take part in its holy cere-
monies. Incidental mentiou is often made of
such recluses in the troubled history of the
times* Two anchorets were burned in the ^
church at Mantes, when William the Conqupror ■
set fire to the town. Richard II, before setting-
out on his dangerous encounter with Wat Tyler,
went to confession to the anchoret in West-
minster Abbey. It is probable that these holy
men were often spiritual directors, while, as wa
shall presently sec, many souls in sorrow and
trouble, came to the window of the maiden an*
choress for advice and consolation. It is trua
that from their very position the recluses were
exposed to g-reat temptationSn Sometimes hypo-
crites were to be found among them, as is known
* Many oflbese particulars are lakeri frorn the very inlercsl'
ing- ticcouni of tli* AachorcU in Dr Rock'o *' Churcb of our
I
of Mediaeval England
6rom the life of St Stephen of Obazine, where
we bear of a pretended anchoret who decamped
with Slims of money entrusted to him. The
life is more iotelligiblc in the case of a priest
who had the adorable Sacrifice to offer up,
confessions to hear, and Ofiice to recite; but
what would be ihe occupation of the hearts and
brains of many an English maiden during the
long days and nights which she thus spent in
the narrow circle of the four walls which thus
encaged her i What spells did she use to cool
the restless fever in her veins i This is revealed
10 us by those treatises which we are now to
consider.
The first is the ^'Ancren Riwle/' a book
for anchoresses, first published by the Camden
Socie^- The authorship of this remarkable
book IS very uncertain, or rather it is unknown.
There is not a vestige of evidence to connect
it with St Richard of Chichepter, to whom it
has been ascribed. On the faith of a manu-
KTiptt it has been assigned to Simon of Ghent,
Bishop of Salisbury, and supposed Co have been
written by hina for some sisters living at Taranl
in Dorsetshire. It has also been contended that
Richard Poore, Bishop of the same See, was its
author. The oniy thing that is certain is that
it was written by a Dominican, for the list of
prayers which the writer enumerates as having
been in use among the lay brothers of his Order,
ar© nearly identical with those ordered in the
Rule of St Dominic* As the Black Friars did
not come to England till isii, the book could
Dot have been originally written for the sisters
*CoAp&fV ** Ancren KiwLe," p. 34, with Brackie. torn. IV,
111. Il ia ]d»o plain, from p 3S cf Ihr HivvLa, thAl tht auttior
did am b?Jieve the ImmacuLACc Concepticn.
The Spiritual Life
at Tarant, who before tliat date are known to
have been Cistercians and not recluses ; nor can
one of the above-named prelates be its author,
for they never belonged to the Order. Who-
ever was its author, it is evident that it must
have been written before French bad penetrated
to any great extent into the English ton^e,
A few such expressions as Deulefet (Dieu le faitj
and ■* sot " (foolish), show the presence of the
Norman; and '* annul" proves how early an
importation from France was weariness of
spirit in England. But the newness of words
of French ori gi n proves how 1 i tt I e two cen-
turies of Norman rule had succeeded in Ro-
manizing the old language of the Saxon.
Though the recluses Co whom the book is ad-
dressed evidently could read French, yet the
whole language and lone of thought is essen-
tially English, The anchoresses, then, were
English girls, in the thirteenth century. Their
very names are unknown, though at that time,
probably in the reign of our Henry III. their
renunciation of the world was much spoken of
among our ancestors, *' Much word is of you,
how gentle women ye be, for godliness and for
nobleness yearned after by many; sisters of
one father and one mother, in the blossom of
your youth having forsaken all the world's
blisses, and become anchoresses.'* A rich
neighbour sent them all necessaries "from his
hall.** They had maidens to wait upon them,
and to provide all that they wanted from with-
out. They themselves, however* never stepped
beyond the threshold of their hermitage. One
wmJow looked into the church, and from thence
they assisted at the holy Sacrifice of the Mass,
At another window, answering to the grill ot
of Mediaeval England
XI
an enclosed convenr, they gave audience to
visitors; but from the moment of their seclu-
Bion they never left their house, till they were
carried out for burmh
What could be the meaning of this apparition
in the bustling' limes of the thirteenth centuiy ?
Though society was gradually settling down^ yet
it was a restless age. Men did not travel for
pleasure, nor were there yearly migratinns to the
seaside ; yet there was still a good de^l of wan-
dcrirg. The great migrations of nations were
over long befon^, and the majority of the agri-
cultural population was still practically tied \o
the soil ; yet crusades and pilgrimages often
drew men to the far East and across the Alps.
The scholar wander*;d from university to uni-
versity for knowledge; the merchant was not
lied to his desk, but travelled from fair to fair
with all his precious wares; the minstrel dis-
seminated news, and sung' his ballads. There
was a world then, with pomps and vanities, as
there is row ; a gay, parti -co loured, motley
world, at which the Church frowned and preach-
ed. The eternal war between God and the
world was going on. It is quite true there was
less of the chronic excitement which is row
wearing' the strength ot souls with its wasting
fever Pleasures were intermittent, and life more
even.' Balls were few, and generally took place
in the daytime ; public tournaments were few
v\d far between. Yet society was still heaving
with conflicting elements. Archbishops were
often in exile; Emperors were under the ban
of the Chui*ch; the Pope himself oftener in
Viterbo than in Rome, Hnglish barons were
harassing their king with Oxford Provisions]
Jdl
The Spiritual Life
Simon de Montfort was devising a real English
Parliament where llie middle classes were re*J
presented. All the while these maidens of the)
period were praying to God day and night.
This is the secret of their life. Whereveri
men believe in prayer, you are sure to have
the monastic life in some shape or other. If they
have none, they will soon cease to believe in
prayer, as is fast becoming the case in all Pro-
testant countries. Wherever the Christian idea
is strong, men who are by their position neces-
sarily involved in the strife of the world will
be glad to know that men and women who
are separated from its turmoils and its sins
are offering prayers to God for them.
It is plain that such was the occupation, and
such the idea of the anchoress. It is also true
that they did a great deal more than pray-
The very dangers against which the author of
her rule warns her are a procf that all had
many visitors. He warns her against becoming
a "babbling" or "gossiping anchoress/' a varie-
ty of the species evidently drawn from the life;
a recluse whose cell was the depository of all the
news of the neighbourhood at a lime when
newspapers did not exist. Her habitation is
not to be the storehouse where the neighbours
placed objects of value, that Ihey might be safe
from the robber's hand. All this proves thai the
good anchoress had means of exercising charity
towards her fellow creatures. Many a sorrowing
soul came lo the window, and received balm for
her wounded spirit from behind the black cur-
lain and the white cross which hung there.
Through her ser\-ants she might even practise
hospitality to those who wanteil it, and they
might act &s school-mistresses to little girls
of Mediaeval England
xia
who otherwise would frequenl schools were boys
were taught> AJi this is quite true, yet it ia
plain that the chief business of the anchoress
was prayer.
It is very difficult for men living in the
modern world to understand a life of prayer i
yet they mu5t accept it as a real fact. Thou-
sands of Christians have lived such a life with-
out becoming either praying machines like the
RuddhiaU or fakirs like the Bralirains. The
principle of Christian a^cetism is as far apart
from ManicheUm as possible. It U simply the
principle of expiatory suffering and prayer in-
volved in the very ideo of the sacrifice of Christ*
The gulf which separates the archoress from the
fanatic Is the love of Jesus. Of course this is
nothing new to Catholics. Yel T think that even
Catholics are not aware to what extent this is
true of mediaeval devotion, and above all of
England. Looking at the England of to-day
it is very difficult lo realize the fact that, whilst
such a feeling towards our Lord is the ve^
foundation of all Christian devotion, there is
undoubtedly a kind of lender, pathetic love
which is to be found in old Enj^lish writers,
and which is peculiarly their own. If 1 were
asked to select the grace which is prominent in
their writings, I should say that it was piety in
the sense in which the word is applied to the gift
of the Holy Ghost, The literature which is now
before us is an excellent specimen of this spirit,
because of the great mterior freedom which was
allowed to anchorets- They were less liturgical,
and had fewer regulations than the religious
Orders, "In this wise," says the Rule, ^'an-
swer to him that asketh you of your Order,
and whether it is white or biack; say that
x!v
The Spiritual Life
ye are both, through the grace of God, of
St James's order, about which he wrote, Im-
macufatum se atstodire ah hoc s/pcnh. that is,
as I said before, 'P^rom the world to keep him-
self clean and unstained.' Herein is religion,i
and not in the white hood nor in the black, nor
in the white nor Jn the grrey cowh Thus it is
in a convent ; but wherever uom.in liveth or
man liveth by himself alone, eremite or anchoret,
on outward things whereof no scandal comeih,
he need lay little stress."* The anchoress had
no peculiar habit, and her office was, as has been
said, not that of the choir, but that of the lay
brothers. She is encouraged to say Eng-lish
praj-ers.t At midday she made a meditation on
the crucifix. Holy meditations are especially
recommended to her.J Though, according to
the practice of the Church at the time, she made
only fifteen Communions a year, yet there Js a
marked devotion to the Blessed Sacrament
tKroughout the treatise. Its perpetual presence
in the church is held out as a refuge against
temptation, and it is plain that from the window
which looked into the rhurch, the anchoress
often knelt in prayer, with her eyes fixed upon
the altar where Jesus lay in the Sacrament of
His love. Let me give a few specimens of these
meditations of the thirteenth ceulury. These
then were the veritable thoughts which went
through the hearts of English anchoresses as
they knelt before the crucifix live hundred
years ago :
''Jesus, true God! God's Son! Jesus, true
God, true Man ! Man, maiden-born ! Jesus, my
holy love, my own sweetness I Jesus, mine
heart, my joy, my soul's health I Jesus, sweet!
' Ancren Kiwlc, p. J ^ t P> 19^. {P. £^ 1 .
of Mediaeval Eng:Iand
XV
Jesu&i my love, my lig^ht, my healing oii^ my
honey-drop ! Tliou all ihat 1 hope in! Jrsus,
my weal, my winsomeness, blithe bliss of my
breast! Jesus, teach me that Thou art so soft,
and so sweet, yez, too, so lovely and so love-
some that Ihe Ang^ela ever behold Thee, and yet
are never full of looking on Thee! Jesus, all
fair, before whom the sun is but a shadow, for
she loscih her liglii and beconieth ashamed of
her darkness before Thy bright face. Thou that
givest her light, and whose is all that bright-
ness, enlighten my dark heart. Give brightness
to Thy bower, even my aoul that is sooty. Make
her worthy to be Thy sweet abode. Kindle me
with the blaze of Thy enlightening love> Let
me be Thy bride, and leam me to love Thee,
the loving Lord! Wo that I am so strange
with Thee; but as Thou hast bodily separated
me from the world, separate me elce in heart ;
lum me altogether to Thee, with true love and
belief/' •
In another place, after a beautiful and minute
description of the crucifixion, and how the '* hell-
baims" betrayed and crucified Him, she breaks
out: ^'Ah! Jesus, my life's love, what heart is
there that will not break when he thinketh here-
of; how Thou, that art the Saviour of mankind,
And the remedy for all bales, didst thole such
shame for the honour of mankind- Men speak
oft of wonders and of strange things divers and
manifold that have befallen, but this was the
greatest wonder that ever befell upon earth.
Yea. wonder above wonders that that re-
nowned Kaiser, crowned in Heaven, maker of
all that is made, to honour His foes would
• Thii interpret Alien la ntthcr diflfercnl from lh»t of the
lESmrd imiulatcr of tlic " Riule."
hang: between two thieves. Ah, how can I
live for ruth that see my darling on the rood,
and His limbs so drawn that I may tell each
bone in His body ! Ah, how do they now drive
the iron nails through Thy fair hands into the
hard rood and through Thy noble feet ! Ah,
row from tho^e hands ajid feet so lovely streami
the blood so niefuUy ! Ah, now they offer to
my lovCj who says He thirsts, two evil drinks
in His blood-letting, vinegar, sourest of all
drinks, mingled with ^aU, that is the bitterest
of all things I Ah, now> sweet Jesus, yet be-
sides all Thy woe, to eke it out with shame and
mockery, they laugh Thee to scorn when Thou
hangest on the rood I Ah, that lovely body
that bangs so ruefully, so bloody, and so cold I
Ah, how shall I live, for now dies my love for
me on the dear rood, hangs down His head, and
sends forth His soul ? But it seems to them that
He is not yet iully tormented, nor will Ihey let
the pitiful body rest in peace. They bring foi
Lon^mus with the broad sharp spean He pierci
His side, cleaves the heart, and there come floi
ing out of that wide wound the Blood that boughl
us, the water that washes the world of guilt ai
sin. Ah, sweet Jesus, Thou opene^t for me Th]
hearl, that 1 may know Tbee truly, for thei
I may openly see how much Thou lovedst mi
With wrong should I refuse Thee ray hei
since Thou hast bought heart for heart. Jesi
sweet Jesus, thus Thou fout«htest for me agaim
my aoul's foes. Thou didst settle the conte;
for me with Thy body, and hast made of mi
a wretch, Thy beloved and ITiy spouse^ Brougl
Thou hast me from thf* world to Thy bowi
1 may there so sweetly kiss Thee, and embrai
Thee, and of Thy love have ghostly llkinj
of Mediaeval England
xvll
What may I suffer for Thee for all that Thou
didst thole [endure] for me? But it is well for
me that Thou be easy to satisfy, A wretched
body and d weak I bear upon earth, and that,
such as it is, I have given Thee and will give
Thee to Thy senrice. Let my body hang with
Thy body nailed on the rood, and enclosed with-
in four walls, and hang I will with Thee, and
never more leave my cross till that I die."
These extracts suffice to give us an insight
into the inner life of the anchoresses of the
thirteenth century. They were supported in
their lon^ imprisonment by the love of our
Lord, Their thoughts were fed by the image
&f Jesus, This is expressed in characteristic
vords: "After the dfath of an earnest knight
man hangeth high in church his shield to his
meraory. All so is this shield, that is, the
cnicifix, set in church in such place that it
in»y soonest be seen, for to think thereby on
the kfiightship of Jesus Christ which He did
on the rood/' Here is evidently a passionate,
thivilrous love of our Lord. The Rule is very
"'" of child-like pietj-, and at the same time of
common sense. Its whole tone is as
different as possible from that of the hermit of
fancy. There ore no images of Alexan-
orgies, no hobgoblins worse than the an-
is's cat, which is especially exempt from
the ban which proscribes pet animals,* She
>( nothing but a simple girl, who has given up
fee free Jife of English country maidens for the
bve of Christ.
Very difEerent is the next anchoress who
tones under our consideration. One of the
&05t rem arkable books of the Middle Ages Is
B
xviii
The Spiritual Life
I
1
the hitherto almost unknown work called "Six-
teen Revelations of Divine Love made to a de-
vout servant of our L-ord, called Mother Juliana,
an Aiichoress of Norwich." * It contains visions
and passages of such beauty as to rival the reve-
lations of the Blessed Angela of Foligno. We
shall find it well worth studying.
But little is known of Mother Juliana. Her
very name has been hitherto unnoticed. It ap-
pearSj however, most probable that she is the
Juliana Lampit to whom a knight, Shakespeare's
'* good Sir Thomas Erpingham/' "i" who com-^
manded the English archers at Agincourt, left^
a legacy in his will in 1424. Her cell was at
the east end of the church-yard of St Julian's
Church at Norwich, t She weis thirty 3'ears old ■
and a half in May, TJ73, and, as she appears to
have died in 1443, she must have lived to be
a hundred. She thus lived through some of the
most stirring times of English history. She saw
Poitiers and Agincourt> and the death of Joan
of Arc.
Nothing can show more forcibly how pro-
^
^r^
* BJomficId, in hia Nistttfy of l^arfoUt, p. j^fi, mentio
a MS., apparcnlly ciislJiw in bis day, ana bdon^iir^ to
clcr^niAh of the name of Pcch, ikullior of " The AnlictLJitica of
Stamford." The book w&s firsl publi^liEd by CrCA&y ip 1670, •
and rcprit^ted in 1S43, ^
t Sir TFiom^iq Erpinghsni ha^ ihe crtdil of having b«««.^|
a parlisaa of WycliCfe. Thai for iw? nl3~-ei^hl yurs brJbre fat»^|
drgth be was h koo'^ CHlholic is certain, Yruai Ihc ycer 1400
he WAS Mri inliinite friend of the Hi^^liop af Norvichi Ihe gre«t
enemy of 1h« Lollards H«! is sard tif hav« built & g'UTe at the
n-esT end of the Cathedral au an alnnemenl for his ernjFS- I
thp same wjll thert is b ItfAcy for Ma»«s for hii soul, an
apcdal bequests to each Mouk. — BlnmRcldf ^72. 57^
t It ia true that Juliana Lampil is then: said to be tte
chist of C»rrow {v, SlomBefd^ p, 51s)- Tbc church of St Julian,
howevnr, belonged to (he mmnery of Carrow, and Iherefore ihc
recluse might very well have been called by tbat nanie. — Pp.
545* 54^> ^^> wh«re 7538 ia evidently a misprinl for 1418.
It
1
of Mediaeval England xlx
foundly ihe minds of men in the fourteenth cen-
tury were stirred down to their lowest depths
than the appearance in an ab^cure anchoress of
those fundamental questions concerning good
and evil, which, however laid to rest in limes
of peaceful faith, are sure to start up afresh
whene\"er the minds of rncn are strongly moved.
We know that the llme was marlced by an out-
burst of mystical life in Germany, and that
Eckhart, Tauler and the Blessed Henry Suso are
proofs of the existence of a deeply speculative
as well as religious spirit ; but we were not pre-
pared to find it in England, This is the more
remarkable because there is no trace of any con-
nexion between the German and Hnglish move-
ment. In one short passage alone, Juliana, in
the crude English expression, "unmade kind is
God," * might seem to give utterance to the doc-
trine so prominent in Eckhart that creatures,
Gcmsidered as eternally present to God's mind,
are identical with God. It was surh expressions
as these which drew upon the Dominican the
censure of the Church, which, after his sub-
[ni&»ton, he modified, antl which reappear in
wniers of his school, such as the Blessed Henry
Skiso, but with explanations which render them
harmless. Their occurrence in Mother Juliana
b very remarkable. Wc might be tempted to
suppose that they were an importation into
Norwich through the immigration of Flemish
weavers. We must, however, remember that
this school of mysticitm^ represented by Ruys-
brock, appeared later in Flanders than in the
Rhineland. These views, then, are only another
proof, among many, of the simultaneous appear-
ance of ideas in places unconnected with each
• P. T57-
XK
The Spiritual Lilc
other. Like volcanoes, distant from each other,
bursting- out into flame at one and the same
moment, they reveal the existence of some fiery
depths at work in the very heart of Christendom.
In Juliana's mind^ however, this view of creation
i& only subordinate to tliat which absorbs and
agonizes her whole being — the mystery of the
existence of sin. Like the faces of fiends which
grin in stone down upon us from the roof of
a Gothic cathedral, the thought haunted her cell
and mocked her at her prayers. In her mind it
does not lake the shape of the modem difficulty
of the existence of suSering-, eternal or temporal
It is true that even in this shape the difficulty
was not entirely unknown to the Aliddle Ages.
In Dante's great poem, for instance, the question
of the eternal destiny of the heathen b treated
with a. freedom which we should not have ex-
pected. Even in the preceding century Brother
Benhold is obliged to answer both popular and
learned objections to the doctrine of everlasting
punishment, ■ This, however, is never doubted
by Mother Juliana. With her the difficulty is
the possibility of the existence of such a horror
as sin in creatures, which, even in the natural
order, are so connected with God that in Him
they " move and have their being." Above
all, in the supernatural order, how could there
be sin in souLs predestinated to heaven ? *' How
may this be ? For I know by the common teach-
ing of holy Church, and by mine own feeling,
that the blame of our sins continually hangeih
upon us from the first man unto the time when
we come up mto Heaven. And between these
two contraries my reason was greatly troubled
' blindness, and could have no rest, for
by
Pfeinrcr, p. j86.
of Mediaeval England
xxi
dread that Hi& bliv^-ful presence should pass
from my sight, and I to be left in unknowing
how He beheld us in our sin- My longing en-
dured, Him cannnually beholding; and yet I
could have no patience in great Tear and per-
plexity/' Her mind is torn becau^ie she must
hate sin, "as holy Church teachelli," yet that
hateful thing exists in the predestinate-* In vaJn
she lakes refuge in the views of the schoolmen
that sin has " no manner of substance, ne no part
of being, ne it might not be known but by the
pain thereof." t It was but poor comfort that
sin, being a deff^ct and therefore a negaiion, can
be no object of cognition. The ftend was too
powerful to be laid by metaphysical distinctions-
Conscience and " the doom of the Church "
alike cried out that it was a horrid fact, an
■*ugly sight," and thai m^ny creatures *' shall
be damned to Hell without aid, as holy Church
leacheth me to believe,"^ The RgOT\y of soul
still continued: "1 cried inwardly with all my
might, seeking unto God for lielp, moaning
thus; *Ah! Lord Jesus, King of bliss, liow shall
Ibeeased?'"S
This is very different from the "Ancren
Riwle/' There we saw none but the ordinary
tunptations of the soul, '*lhe world and the
flesh." Here is a soul racked by the a^ony of
perplexity, torn b}' the throes of doubt, li is not
the fruit of modern scepticism, "the spirit which
always contradicls." She take^ for granted all
Ihe grand mvsteries of Heaven and earth. It is
this very certainty which causes intolerable pain<
This soul has a tremendous grasp of the reality
of God, which she expresses with terse energy-
"The Trinitie is God," she exclaims, "God is
• p. 110, tF. 6j.
f.7'.
i F. II I.
xxn
The Spirilual Lift
the Trinitie, the Trinitie is our maker, the
Tnnitie is our keeper, the Triniiie Is our ever-
lasting lover, the Triniiie is our endless joy and
our blisse, by our Lord Jesus Christ, and in
our Lord Jesus Christ ; and this was showed
in the first sight (visionj and in all. For when
Jesus appeareth, the Blessed Trinity is under-
stood aa unto my sight,"" Yet with all this,
there was that "ugly sight" of sin, obscuring
the very face of God, shaking " the holy Church
in sorrow and anguish and inbulation, a^ men
shaketh a cloth in the wind,"t coming like a
dark doud bttween her and the cruciiis. Truly
here is an anchoress worth studying, if only
because it gives us a new and unexpected in-
sight into the mediaeval time.
The fact is hers was a dismal age. The
more we study historj', the more preposterous
it seems to lump together into one the whole
of those ages commonly called the Ages of
Faith. There is as much difference between
the twelfth and fourteenth centuries as between
the fourteenth and the nineteenth. The power
of the Church throughout the Middle Ages has
certainly been much exaggerated. There were
continual fluctuations of victorj' and defeat. Even
in the thirteenth century she was by no means
omnipotent; certainly at the beginning of the
fourteenth her influence was sensibly mowing
less, I wish, however, just now especially to
point out that, simultaneously with the herce
attack of Europe on the Papacy, of which the
treatment of Boniface VlII by Philip the Fair
was the beginning, there came an undoubted
outburst of sin, a marked progress in vice, Ic
is absurd to look for the cause of this en
in
t p. 63,
of Mediaeval England
Kxm
in the Papacy itself Boniface laid claim to
nothing whatsoever which was not sucesafuJiy
claimed by Innocent III. The causes were to
bo found in society itself, in profound social
changes which were bringing on political revolu-
tions. The unchri^^tian principles which from
the first were contained in chivalry, its courts
of love, and its impure literature, were now
getting entirely the upper hand over its high
and virtuous ideal. The germ of all this wicked-
ness had been ai an early period brought over
to England by the Queen of Henry II, the
Kleanor of the South of France, Since John
England had been ruled by men who, with all
their faults, were good and religious — Henry,
Dante's "king of simple life,"* and the noble
Edivard, hia son ; but the brilliancy of Cressy
and Poitiers cannot blind us to the licentious-
ness of the court of Edward III, even though we
disbelieve the common story of his affection for
the Countess of Salisbury. Minute details on
the subject of dress and manners, from con-
temporaries of Mother Juliana, come to us from
too many sources to leave a doubt on the de-
generacy of the times. The dress and demeanour
of the ladies of the upper classes scandalized the
people, and were a distinct charge for the worse,
" In these days," says Knighton, " arose a mur-
mur and clamour among the people, that when-
ever there was a tournament, there came a great
concourse of ladies of the court, costly and
beautiful, but not of the best of the kingdom, in
divers and wonderful rich apparel, in divided
tunics, one part of one colour and one of another,
with short caps and bands in the manner of cords
wound round the head, and zones well bound
• Pttrg, vl'u
XXIV
Th€ Spiritual Life
round with gold or silver^ and in pouche?> across
their bodies knives called dagg-ers, and thus they
proceeded on chosen coursers or vvtll-governed
horses to the place of tournament; and so ex-
pended and devastated their g-^ods, and vexed
their bodies with scurrilous wantonness, that the
rounrmrs of the people sounded everywhere; and
thus they neither feared God nor blushed at the
chaste voice of the people,"* Evidently these
ladies of the period were worse than their grand-
mothers. Let any one call to mind the Parson's
sermon in the "Canterbury Tales," and he will
see that this immodesty continued in the rei^
of Richard II, This change of manners was,
however, by no means confined to England.
Loud complaints arose from every land in
Europe. X3antc's sad and beautiful description
of the simplirity of the old Florentine life which
he had known in his early years, ond his In-
dicant lines against the low dresses introduced
among the Florentine ladies of the fourteenth
century,! are too precise to allow us to suppose
thera to be the product of a morbid mind. The
sober prose of the chronicle bears out the langu-
age of the poet- *■ People at this time," says tbe
Roman anllior of Rienzi's life, " be^an to change
much in their habits, both in dresi and conduct/'
Documents from Pavia, Piacenza and Milan
bear witness to the same chang-e for the worse,
especially in the modesty of the young'. J As for
France, the universal voice accuses it of being
the centre of corruption and vice. Already, at
the end of the preceding century, a preacher of
the south of France attacks customs which
' Quotpd in Longman'? Jidaord I//, i. 29^
"f" Compare Ph^k- =J ^itI ^*i"- 'Si 1*-
T Cacll, Jiisfoirc ^ts Italtenr, lorn. 7, c. 1 7J,
of Mediaeval England
XXV
only appeared later elsewhere.' Villani traces
Florentine dea;eiieracy to the visit of the French
in 1 38^-t The same deg^eneracy appears in
Germany. Landino, a commentator on Dante,
mentions a circumstance of German life which
resembles St Chry^ostom's invectives against the
ptjblic baths of ihe Eastern Hmpire. The whole
subject is thus summed upby a competent writer* :
*' Since the end of the thirteenth century the
comfort and material prosperity of all classes in
Italy, the Netherlands, France and Germany
were much greater owing' to the spread of com-
merre and intercourse. On all sides are seen a
tendency to Luxury and a rapid chang-e of fashion
which already, under Philip IV, called forth a
formal sumptuary ordinance for the nobility,
clergy and citizens." It wa.s just one of those
periods in which the heart of Christians like
Mother Juliana are profoundly stirred by the
5igfht of the increasing wickedness of mankind.
Nor need we wonder that the knowledge of
the wickedness of the world should have reached
the cell of the recluj^e. It so happens that the
anchoress lived in the centre of these political
revolutions, which were the re^iult of this very
degeneracy of chivalry. Norwicli, with its 60,000
inhabitants, was the second city in the Idng'dom,
and represented more interests than even Lon-
don. No one can fail to have been struck with,
the prominence ol financial details in the annals
of the T€\gn of Edward III. The great conqueror
is forced to leave his great crown and his little
crown and his Queen's crown in pledge, and his
nobles as hostages for his debts, before he can set
&&tl from the continent and return to his own
• Chitire F'an^aitf at! .5/of/»« Age. P. 40^ f Caul A, [bid,
; Scbwsih, Joharrcs tjer*on, p^ 3S.
XX vi
The Spiritual Life
kingdom. A great part of Ms revenues came
from taxes on wool^ and as Norwich was the
great seat of woollen manufaclurES, it acquired
an immense preponderance in an age when al-
most daily alternations between protectionist
and free-trade principles prove the attention
paid to it3 peculiar branch of commerce. The
cliy was therefore always profoundly stirred by
England's revolutions, and wild storms surg"ed
up to the \ery doors of the eel! of the Anchoress
of Carrow, Every party in the realm was re-
presented there. About seventy years before
Juliana's birth there had been fighting in the
streets between the partisans of the Abbey and
the citizens. The old-world privileges of the
Church, given in times when the monks were
almost the only agriculturists, became galling
to the rich wool- merchants of Norwich, and
a bloody fight had been the result. The agi-
tation had, however, worked deeper down; and
a lower stratum of society was in process of
upheaval. In the great insurrection of 13B1 tlie
French Revolution had been well-nigh antici-
pated. Two elements of strife were at work, and
each affected Norwich, First there was the re-
bellion of labour against property. The awful
visitation of the Black Death had carried off
a vast proportion of the ill-fed, comfortless
villains. The result was a great rise in wages,
which Parliament attempted to keep down by
legislation. This produced a long strike among
the labourers, who fled from the uncultivated fields
and flocked into the towns. From one single
manor, that of Cossey, no fewer than eighteen
vilJains in one year fled to Norwich; out of
these eight received their freedom on the plea
of their having had a domicile for a year and
of Mediaeval England
XXV li
a day. This occurred earlier in the century,
but by Juliana's lime hundreds must thus have
been lurned into free manufacturers instead of
serfs. In ihac one ciiy there were oongrei^ated
all the conflicting elements of society — the rich
Abbey, the wealthy merchant, the Flemish
manuiacturer and the &eed serf. This of it-
self, however, might have been insufficient to
raise the Etorm if it had not been for a cause
to which I have adverted. The increasing and
ruinous luxury of the nobles produced a grind-
ing' oppression of the poor. This had always
been contained in the bosom of feudalism. In
that system those who were not possessors of
land, the villains and the serfs, had but little
to trust to but the conscience of their lord and
the customs which regulated their services. As
long as the lord had comparatively simple wants,
the serf was less oppressed. But when a licen-
tious court showed an example of prodigality.
the infection spread through the whole of the
feutjal hierarchy. The knight still swore to de-
fend the poor and the oppressed, but when he
wanted money for his multiplied needs, the
temptation to wring it out of the vassal was
too strong to be resisted- Here again we have
a cloud of witnesses from all sides. The evil
had begun eariier in France. "The order of
knighthood,'* says James of Vilry in a sermon,
**is now-a-days m many cases corrupt ; they use
their strength like hjrious madmen. Many harry
iheir vassals by cerv^^s, as they are called, and
give them no bread to eat/' ■ ** Let the serf be
too happy that I have left him his calf and
spared h\s life," ^aid a nobleman, who had
"" n's cow. Matters bad
poor ma
become ten times worse at the period of which
we are writing. The world had less conscience,
and there are fewer stories on record of the
signal punishment of the oppressor, ''Jacques
Bonhomme wi]l not pull out his purse unless
you beat him, but Jacqties Bonhomme will pull
out his purse because hewjll be beaten," was the
commori talk," Jacques Bonhomme took a fearful
Teveng;e. The horrible rebellion of the Jacquerie
was the result. In England it took a longer
lime to stir up these elements of horror There
was a better feeling amongst us. and the Com-
mons in the Good Parliament: presented a peti-
tion for a law to forbid ths lords ot the demesnes
to exercise sovereign aulhorit/ by taxing the
villain. t The king- answered that he would act
as seemed good to hira. The answer cost Eng-
land a civil war. Six years later London was
in the hands of Wat Tyler at the head of the
Kentish serfs, and the blood of the Archbishop
of Canterbury stained the streets of tho city.
Men perpetraieti horrible crimes, but they were
maddened by an unjust tax^ levied by officials
wiio irsulled the honour of those who were
nearest and dearest to iliem. Here ag-ain Nor-
wich was in the midst of the light. A dyer of
Norwich was at the head of the peasants, and
its Bishop, of the noble house of Spencer, in
full armour, with a few lancers, rode and hewed
do^yn the insurg;enl£, and arrested their leader-
While all these horrors were enacted at the city
gates, Juliana was leading her life of miraculous
prayer. Amidst decaying chivalry and chaotic
revolt the saints of God were suffering^, Ii is
remarkable that on the same blood-stained flats
of Norfolk, over which formerly, in quieter times,
• Lon^rman"* Life tif£d%^rd Hi, ii, 54. t Ibkl-, ^^
o( Mediaeval England
zxix
St Walstan, of the royal house of Cedric, had
driven the plough as a poor labourer, now in
liiis most troubled century, an Eng^lish peasant
maiden, Jane the Meatless, was adoriiig and
lovinff the Blessed Sacrament, which for many
years was almost her only food.
Into this witch's cauldron was thrown another
ingredient. Up to this time Europe can hardly
be &aid lo have given birth lo an indigenoir*
heresy. Such errors as those of Berengarius
and Gilbert de la Por6e were chiefly confined
to the schools, and only aflected the laity in
a comparatively small degree. Heresies of the
Albtgensian class were the descentiants of
Gnostics and Manichees.* Public opinion was
against thein, and the very jongleurs in their
songs satirized the Vaudois. We find, however,
in Uie fourteenth cerlury the beginning of a dis-
tinct revolt of the cultivated cl:is£ against Chris-
tianit}'. They are already numerous enough to
fill iho sixth circle of Dame's HelU In the case
{►f Fredrick II it was stJU possible to refer his
scepticism to what has been well called Ghi-
belHne culture. But now out of the dismal
Imnba arise at once spirits who belonged lo
both the great parlies of the lime. Farinata
was a Ghibelline, Cavalcante was a Guelph.
Hitherto England had been singularly free from
ictelleciual revolts against the Church. The Do-
minican author of the ** Ancren BJwle" thanks
God that England is free from heresy. In Mother
Jctliana's lime, however, the land was stained
vitb native error. It is to the disgrace of Wy-
cliflfe that while he taught doctrines which, not-
' It in tmel^t Malcspina mcuLioni Epicureans iMuratori, B,
SL CWBl III '!>< Countesa MalJIiJa's Ume, t>til ihcrc Bccm lo
tbcen heretics of an otJer type to whom Makapma gives
i "T wan ^cuUiaf l« hinuKlL
XXX
The Spiritual Life
withstanding' his disclaimers, struck at the root
of all property, he played into the hands of the
party of the rapacious nobles, headed by the
Duke of Lancaster. The citizens of London rose
in disgxist against the priest who insulted their
bishop and was protected by the man who was
the defender of abuses, which the Black Prince
rose from his bed of death to oppose in his place
in Parliament. We have not, however, anything
to do with Wydiffe's social views. I must ad-
vert to the speculative part of his system in order
to contrast it with that of the recluse oF Norwich,
for there is sometimes a coincidence of language
which might deceive the unwary. Little do they
know of Wyclifie who look upon him as a sort of
modem Evangelical because he translated the
bible and abused the mendicant Orders. That
lie was a moming-star of the Reformation we
have no difficulty in allowing, a fitting Lucifer
for such a day. Some writers have connected
him with Ockham, because Merton College
had the honour of producing both. In point of
fact, the two doctors were at the very opposite
extremes of the poles of scholastic thought.
Wycliffe identifies nominalism with heresy and
held lealism in its most intrepid form. "We
meet in him," says a Protestant writer, "with
elements which in their logical evclulicn would
have led to Pantheism." What they did lead to,
according to the same authority, was **a denial
of free-wiU " in God and man. So thoroughly
and absolutely did he identify in God the idea
and the fact, the order of thoug-ht and the order
of being, that he denies to God the conception
of any possible things beyond what is or will be
actual. Thus creation, present or future, is the
measure of God's omnipotence. The old me-
of Mediaeval England xxxi
Uphysical bull-dog of the North coiintr)"^ the
"quidam Borealis" of Walsirgrham, hung on
with all his teeth to his premiases, in spite of
the immorality of the conclusion, God, accord-
ing lo h\ra, was neither more nor less free in
the creation of the worid than in the g:eneralion
of the Son, I need not say that this is direct
Pantheism, since it makes the universe a ne-
cessary part of God, Wycliffe saw and was
not scared by the fearful danger of Ihrowing-
the causality of evil upon God. He tries to
escape from it, indeei!, by the scholastic view
that sin is but a negation, and therefore cannot
be the object of the Divine ideas. But he did
not fear to say that all things happen by abso-
lute necessity -• "Accordingly alL sin appears
to him a necessary thing; all is required in
order to the beauty of the universe/' This
mtcfht have appeared at first sight as unintelli-
gible nonsense, but it has bome a most bitter
fruiL Unfortunately a good deal of what some
are inclined to dismiss as metaphysical subtlety
leads to endless misery, and turns lo vciy in-
telligible blasphemy. The slightest acquain-
tance with the schoolmen will enable us to see
that Wycliffe's views are an audacious perver-
sion of scholastic principles. His denial of
possible things in God is a shameless use of
St Thomas's " Actus Furus." and his theory of
evil a still more shameless abuse of the view
tfaat sin is a defect not a substance^
We are now in a condition to show how
* Ncwid<r» «□!■ 'ix, p- xAi, Bohn'a ediiion. He appends Lhe
follQirinp fH3tCt "Aiming ibc rcrlyrive aKidca lUribuUd to
Wydiffe, (he propoailioo, * Omala de ncccsflitate absoluin
rrnriinl,' migbt justly bf condecnii«d as on« Actually bplong-ing^
10 him." Neander 19 ay aulhrniry throihghoul, tor I am not
iC^vtiared with WrclifTe'a wTiiingd,
XXX u
The Spiritual Life
groundless is the notion that Mother Juliana's
expressions in the least imply a tendency to
the errors of Wydiffen Both fact and doctrine
render such a notion preposterous. It so hap-
pens that we have Walsinghain's testimony
that *' Faith and religion remained inviolate in
the diocese of Norwich.'* The martial prelate
whom we met just now threatened to burn any
Lollard whom he caught, and would, without
doubtj have kept his word. The recluse was
under ecclesiastical jurisdiction, and was too
marked a person to escape if her works had had
a really Wycilflite tendency. Furthermore, her
tender deuotJon to our Lady, her reverence for
the saints, her very mode of life rendered it im-
possible. WvcHffe denied the necessity of con-
fession, calls the canonization of saints blasphe-
mous, and enclosure within stone walls a result
of ** the cursed spirit of falsehood/" The only
passag^es which would lend a colour to such an
imputation on the recluse are those which we
have already quoted, and others • which imply
strong views about predestination, the impos-
sibility of the ultimate fall of the elect, and the
loving care of God for the souls of the elect if
they fall into sin. All these coincidences only
show how deeply the minds of men were stirred,
since we find views on these subjects in the very
cell of the recluse, it would be simple ignorance
tn suppose that such thoughts were confined to
Wyclitfe, and could only be derived from him,
Bradwardine had already made them familiar.
How far even the popular mind was tossed
about by questions of free-will and grace is plain
from the fact that in Chaucer the Nun's Priest
mentions Eradwardine's book; and the existence
* ForiaalADtC, p. ij)<
of Mediaeval Eng:]and xxxill
of these disputes is thus referred to a* well-
known to an assembly such as that which com-
posed the Canterbury Pilgrims, to mine host
of the Tabard^ to the miller and the reeve.
What has already been proved contrary to
fact can still be shown to be impossible by a
, comparison of doctrine. The few coincidences
between Mother Juliana and Wycliffe axe among
the many proofs that the same speculative view
often means different things in different systems.
Both St Augustine, Calvin and Mahomet believe
in Predesiination, yet an Augustinian is some-
thing uiterly different from a Scoich Cameronian
or a Mahometan, The same words mean different
things in the mouths of different people- The idea
which runs through the whole of Mother Juliana \
is the very contradictory of WycIi£Fe"s Pantheis-
tic Neces>tanarianism, The moment that a man
beUeves in any real sense in a loving God he
ceases to be a Pantheist- It is not enough to
believe in a beneficent spirit, for universal bene-
volence may be a blind impulse, but since love
u a free gift of self, a spirit who can love is free,
and a bein? who is free is at once personal."
The very basis, however, and the essence of
Mother Juliana's views are her belief in the
lovinffness of God. Few since the beginning
of Christianity have spoken of the love of God
like this English recluse. After the agony of
the black night of sin, her only consolation is
* " WV premise ihia, that when vrt attribute Personality^ to
Cod. vrt mlend to asseverate of Him nothing el^e ihan Thai He
b a B#in^ (We&en) scparaled from all othrr cxiilence (Sein),
•dtntaiitiii^, sfll^contclDii.t. jltiJ free." — Kitutgen. Tbealogic,
' >i M9 Tq other wordih ihau^h frrccEom docj not tanslhiilc
PcnooitliEy, yd ever)' (rec intdlccEua] being niJ»l be pcfsonal.
l^bd. bccxuae ihc Sacred HumAnily wai free, il mubl ipso/apto
L hdve pr^ne^fed a penonaUly, i^t., einCB it hid i>one of itJ own,
■ 1^ E)f ibe Divide Word,
■
1
XXJUV
The Spiritual Life
to plungB into the great abyss of God'a love.
" Thus Jesus Christ, that does g-ood again evil,
is our very Mother We have our being of Him,
where the ground of Motherhood heginneth, with
all the sweet keeping of love that endlessly
followeth. As verily as God is our Father, as
verily b God our Mother ; and that showeth
He in all; and namely in these sweet words
there He saith, 'I it am,' that is to say, 'I it
am, the might and the goodness of the Father-
head ; X it amj the wisdom and the kindness of
the Motherhead ; I It am, the light and the
grace that is all blessed love; I it ara, the
Trinity; I it am, the Unity; I it am, the high
sovereign goodness of all manner things; I it
am that maketh thee to long; I it am, the end-
less fulfilling of all true desires.' Our high
Father, Almighty God, which is being. He
knoweth us and loved us from before any time.
Of which knowing in His full deep marvellous
charity, by the far-5eeing endless counsel of all
the blessed Trinity, He would that the Second
Person should become our Mother, our Brother,
and our Saviour. Whereof it followeth that as
verily as God is our Father, verily Grod is our
Mother." In a perfect rapture of love, she
goes on, " Our kind Mother, our gracious
Mother, for He would all whole become our
Mother in all things ; He took the ground of
His work full low and full mildly in the maiden's
womb. In this low place He arrayed Him, and
dight Him all ready in our poor flesh> Himself
to do the service and the ofE.ce of Motherhead
in all things. We wit that all our mothers
bear us to pain and to dying, WHiat is that
but our very Mother Jesus ? He alone beareth
ufi to joy and to endless living, bleued mote
of Mediaeval England
XXXV
He be. Thus He sustained us with Him, in
pain and travail, unto the full time that He
would suffer the sharpest thorns and grievous
paijis that ever were or ahall be, and died at
the lasi. And when He had done and so borne
us to bliss, yet mi^ht not ali this sufBce to H\s
marveTIous love. And thai He showed in these
high ever-passing' words of love, ' If I might
ij^T more, I would suffer more/ He might
no more die, but He would not stint working-.
Wherefore Him behoveth to feed us, for the
dear- worthy love of motherhood haih made
Him debtor to us. The mother may give her
child to 5uck her milk ; bu: our precious Mother
Jesos, He may feed us with Himself and doth
full continuously ard tenderly with the Blessed
Sacrament, This is precious food of very life, and
with all the sweet sacrament He sustaineth us
full mercifully and graciously. And so He meant
in these blessed words, when He said, *I it am
ihac Holy Church preacheih thee and teachelh
Ibee-' That is to say, all the health and life of
the sacraments^ all the virtue and the grace of my
word, all the goodness that is ordained in Holy
Church to thee, I it am/ The mother may lay
her child tenderly to her breast; but our tender
Mother Jesus He may homely lead us into His
blessed by His sweet open side, and show us
there in party of the Uodhoad. And that showeth
He in the ninth Revelation, giving the same
understanding in His sweet word when He saith,
*Lo how I love thec/"» This is the key-note
of her whole book, the solution of all her donbts.
She attempts no reasoning, and has no logical
answer to her diflicjlties. She simply plunges
mto the depths ji God's love. ** There I was
XXXVI
The Spiritual Life
learned that I should only enjoy in our blessed
Saviour Jesus» and trust in Him for all things.
And thus our good Lord answered to all questions
and doubts that 1 might make, saying full com-
fortably ; ' I may make all things well, and I c«i
make all tilings well, and 1 shall make all things
well* and I will make all things well, and thou
shah see thyself that all manner of things shall
be well." This, after all, is the sole refuge of
poor humanity- Yet it is not a mere sentiment.
It is based on a deep view of God's R^^at attri-
butes. God is not merely a benevolent being.
She distinguishes His pity from His love. Down
in the depths of His eternity there has been
a longing, which she calls " a ghostly thirst," 4.
'* love-longing,"* "For as truly as there ij
a property (attribute) in God of ruth and pity, as
verily there is a property in God of thirst and
longing. And this property of longing ajid
thirst Cometh of the endless goodness of God;
right as the property of piiy coraeth of His end-
less goodness ; and though He have longing and
pity, they are sundry properties [different attri-
butes) as to my sight,"
Put thia side by side with Wycliffe's deep
growl at abu'^es rather than sin, his heaven of
brass, and his iron destiny; it looks like and is a
different religion. Not only the feeling which
actuates, but the intellectual basis which ani-
mates it is the direct contradiction of his whole
system. She belongs to the genuine school of
English mystics which we have pointed ouL Her
love for Jesus is of ihe same kind as that found in
the"Ancren Riwle," The supernatural events
of her life remind us of what has been often
thought to be peculiar to Continental devotion.
• P. 6?.
of Mediaeval England xxxvU
Here is a p(>or English recluse, who has vision*
not unworthy ot being read by the side of those
of her gpreat contemporarj', Si Catherine of Siena.
This is a phase of English metlifcval life which
we little suspected. Juliana is a recluse very
different from the creatures of the imagiration of
imters on comparative morals. bo far from
being cut off from sympathy t^ith her kind, her
mii^d is tenderly and delicately alive to every
charge i a the spiritual atmosphere of Hrigland.
Every storm was felt with an electric shock
through her inmost being'. The earthquake
cttuncil made the cell of the poor recluse rock to
and fro as violencly as the stones of old St Paul's.
The four walls of her narrow home seem to be
rent and torn asunder, and not only England,
but Christendom appears before her view/ It
was not the crucifix which came before her in her
visions, but the very form of the crucified Jesus,
"with the plenteous bleeding* of the head, the
great drops of blootl falling down from under the
g-arland of thorns." And this was seen at
Norwich, the En^-Iish Manchesier of the four-
teenth centijrA\ when Cressy and Poiti-^rs were
still fresh in men's minds, and the Black Prince
was lying sick at Berkhampstead. Ac ihat lime
England had not separaied itself from tlie great
strtam of Christian life.
A further proof the intimate connection be-
tween the spiritual and social li'e of England is
furnished us by the history of the remarkable
treati^ to which this Essay serves as an intro-
duction- The precise time when it was actually
written is unknown : all that is certain is that the
* How accessible wrrr ancUotc^sts Lo the influence of the
MiCr world 15 prove J by the ciii lo^-S fact ihat I lie fa.st ancUorcs*i
ti CiTQ«- was acIuaIIv ncrvrrled by BiJncy, and turned Pro-
xxxviii
The Spiritual Life
" Scale of Perfection " must have been writien
beiore 1J951 when its autlior died. As Juliana's
book was written in 1370, it is plain that there
cannoi have been any great difference in date
between the composition of the two works. It
tells inucii ior the spiritual life of iingland that
in the fourteenth century such a treatise as the
** Scale of Perfection" should have been written.
It is, however, to the subsequent history of the
book that I wish to point rather than to its
origin ; it so happens chat the period assigned
for the commencement of Waiter Hdlon'a in-
fluence coincides wUh tliat of the close of hf other
Juliana's life.* Unlike Mother Juliana's book,
which remained comparatively unknown, Walter
Hilton's treatise evidently had a wide circtilaiion.
The number of existing manuscripts scattered
through various caihedral and oiher libraries
bear witness to its popularityn It was translated
into Latin by a Carmelite early in the iifteenlh
century. It was high in repute with the Carthu-
sians, and tins in itself is a guarantee of it6 being
extensively read. No order was so respected in
England and other Teutonic countries as the
Carthusian, Those wlio speak most mournfully
of the bad state of Christendom just before the
Reformation, always make an honourable excep-
tion of the sons of St Bruno. They were spiri-
tual directors of Gerard Groot in the Low
Countries, and of Colec, More and Fisher in
England- One of their especial employments
was the translation and propagation of good
spiritual books, as we know from Surius» through
whom Tauler and Henry Suso were made known
* Btomfldili 546* AU thiil ia known ta that ahe was alive In
•vm,i\ upQTi hor.
of Mediaeval England
xxxix
to the Church in a Latin dre&s. Walter Hilton
was the favourite author of Margaret, Countess
of Richmond, the spiritual child of Fisher, The
art of printing was as yet in its infancy when the
"Scale of Perfection" was at once printed in
black letter by Wynkyn de Worde, aniJ other
editions rapidly appeared. This, then, is the re-
marksLble fate of this book. A treatise on the
spiritual life, orig^inally written by an obscure
author in a small house of Augustinian Canons
in Nottinghamshire and addressed to the most
solitary of all the varieties of monastic life, is
chosen to be the guide of good Christians in
the courts of kings and in the world. Through-
out the dismal wars of the Roses, and the more
dismal reign of Henry VIII, many a heart was
strengthened and consoled by Walter Hilton,
The very copy still exists which must have been
in the hands of the martyred Carthusians, the
^cw from whose pallid faces lit up the cell of Sir
Thomas More as he gazed down at them as they
were dragged on the hurdle to execution. The
selfsanie book was to be found in the palace of the
mother of Henry VII. How she loved it. the rude
lines in Wynkyn de Woide's edition will lesiifyr
Tbii heavenly book iaor< pmclouB llun $old|
Wa* l4lely directed vith g-real huioilily,
For gt>dly pleasure fhi^reiii la beliald
Umo the nghi, noble Margaret, as ye sttf
The King's Molhcr of citiicElcnE bounly,
Uju-4-y (be Sevenih, LhM Jesus him preserve.
This m<k$Nly IVmcen? h'lth ccmmandcd me
T" loipnflC Ehi4 bai>l£ her gncc for lo deftenr«.
Now, all tills is very worthy of remark. Here
li a book writcen f-T a rechise. yet printed and
xecommended as a book of devotion, not for the
dolsier, but for good Christians in the world.
xl
The Spiritual Life
This is quite a new feature, and points at once to
the fact that the interior life was spreadinjf in
England. What is the significance of this fact*
Enough has been already said to show that the
religious life of the Middle Ages was not the
formal ritualism which many have supposed.
German scholars have done a vast deal to destroy
this illusion by the publication of old religious
books in the vernacular tongue. "VVe have only
got to look at Mone's collection of mediasval
hymns, and to observe the frequent notices of
translations, not only into German, but into
French and Italian, to be convinced that the
songs of the Church were accessible to the poor,
and even in common use amongst them in their
own language. Jacopone de Todi's beautiful
hymns are a proof of the popularity of spiritual
songs other than the liturgical hymns of the
Breviary. There are extant also hymns sung
and prayers said in various languages — French,
Provencal, German and English — to be used at
the Elevation, the Holy Communion, and on
various feasts." Didactic books of devotion in the
vernacular tongue, such as Tauler's *' Nachfolge,"
"L'lntemelle Consolation." and in English the
" Ayenbite of Inwit " or Remorse of Conscience
prove that spiritual reading was practised. It is
plain then that our mediaeval ancestors were by
no means so chained lo the letter, so unspiritual
as acme have supposed. Nevertheless it is true
that the ^'Scale of Perfection " is a step forward^
indicating a greater spread of the spiritual life
among Christians in the world.
The fact is that there was arising, at the close
of the feudal period, a npw clas^, which had to
be legislated for. We often use the terms me-
* V. M4D4, i, jS6, 9^f ^54, and Ancrei Rivlc-
of Meciiaevat England
xM
diffival and modern without much reflection on
the real difference between society as it was con-
stituted then and now. The feudal sgciely was
a great hierarchy of duties. Of course, wherever
Christianity exists property mu&t involve duties;
in the medieval lime property and duty were
absolutely synonymous. Property was held on
conditions of certain devices, and was forfeited
when these were withheld. In theory the feudal
sovereign was the owner of the soil, and the
nobles held their lands of him on a definite
tenure. Combined with this was the view that
each noble was despotic on his own land, and
admini&tered justice to the serfs who lived upon
it. Horridly oppressive and tyrannical as the
system became in fact, it was founded on the
notion of reciprocal obligations. The noble de-
fended and fought for the serf, who in his turn
laboured for the lord. The consequence of this
state of thing's was that there did not exist a
^g:Ie man who had nothing to do. Indepen-
dently of the absence of available wealth and of
means of being' comfortable, the very fact of
possessing something implied that a man must
work. Every little lord who possessed as much
a* a tower was fully occupied in the administra-
tion of justice, in the g-ovemment of his vassals,
and in atiual war or the keeping himself ready
for it. Robbery, injustice and crime were very
possible; idleness could not exist. The result of
this was that there was no such thing as a class
of persons in society who had a great deal of
lime on their hands and were not compelled lo
do anvthingf. In Times when money was scarce
life was a sinigre'*!. 1-adies took a personal share
in ih€ work of the kitchen, and overlooked their
Krrants &om the gallery in the halh Even
%m
The SpIrHual Lite
hunting was an occupation as well &s an amuse-
ment ; men hunted stags for the sake of the
venison, instead of foxes for the love of sport.
The fish of the stream and the birds which were
struck down by the hawk were ar object to the
lord. Gardens and parks were few, and forests
many. The marks of the plough can still be
traced dose up to the ruined castle wall. Life
was a inore earnest^ personal affair in the Middle
Ages than now.
Gradually this slate of things passed away.
Warwick the King:-maker has been rightly called
the last of the Barons. In Henry VI we may
consider that we have the last of ine<ii*eva] kings.
The Middle Ages find their euthanasia in this
palHd, saintly moTiarch, just as a former state of
thing's was closed by St Edward the Confetisor,
Edward IV, the favourite of the citizens of Lon-
don, brave, but unchivalrous, faithless, irreligious
and unchaste, was a king of a far other type.
The wars of the Roses utterly destroyed the old
feudal baron. Men were hardly conscious of the
change, and the Duke of Norfolk might still boast
^< that he was as good as a king when he was on
his oivn estate at Norwich." The dream cost
hira his head. It was only gradually that men
became aware of the vast, silent change which
had been consummated. The feudal world had
passed away, and modern society had taken its
place- As tar as concerns us, the result is the
total disruption of all necessary connection be-
tween property arid occupation, the creation of
a very large class of men and women who can
live, if they pjlease, without doing- anything at
all. 1 do not mean to say that any man brteath-
ingr is born without duties ; but I mean that th^ro
U a very large class of beings who can eatj drink
of Mediaeval England
xim
ind perform all the functions of life whether they
do their dunes or rot-
It is evident that this state of thing^s requires
something- peculiar to meet it. What is to be
done with all this superfluity of unemployed life ?
What is a man thu*i set fr^e from obligation to
do with his time ? In the Middle Ages life itself
imposed an unvarying rule of living'- Is man
now to live without a rule i A thousand moral
and religious questions start up and crv out for
an answer. Things have become possible now
which were not possible before. Men and women
can spend their lives in an unvarying round of
amusements and excitements, even without sup-
posing them to seek vicious pleasures. Theatres,
operas, balls^ novels — things unknown to their
ancestors — may make up their life. Is this right ?
Is it safe ^ A most momentous question this,
which requires an answer. Here is a new thing
upon earth, or at least a state of things which
ha^ not existed since the Teutonic nations were
converted — the upper classes of society able to
Jiv« in a constant roimd of amusement, and
thinking themselves satisfactorily sure of salva-
tion, because of the liypothetical absence of great
sin. Are linlimitcd balls and unlimited sacra-
ments compatible? Or is a worldly life a peri-
lous one lor those who live it ? Or rather ought
not Christians to spend more time in prayer, in
devotion, in voluntary almsgiving and works of
charity, in proportion as they are set free from
many duties ? Is not life more dangerous and
salvation more insecure because of this terrible
invasion of the world, with audacious require-
ments and unblushing exigencies? Considering
the cool impudence with which the world insists
oa his Qwn iniiocence, nay, has even the imperti-
xH^
The Spiritual Life
nence to look upon its general mode of life as
a duly to society, it does seem as if ill is new
attitude of the world called for new rules and
a greater strictness to counteract its dangers.
Now, ilie "Scale of Perfection" is valuable
because it is an English book containing an
answer to this question. If not written for, it
was at least adopted by an Engflish princess,
a king-'s mother, living at court in the reign of
Henry VIL In fact, it contains the old English
Catholic view bffore Protestantism existed. The
answer to the above question is unequivocal, and
is contained in the following wordsi ' " When
men and women who are free from worldly busi-
nesses if they will, and may have their needful
sustenance without much solicitude about it,
especially religious men and women — and other
men also in secular estate, that have good abili-
ties and understanding, and may, if they will
dispose themselves, ctune to much grace; these
men are more to blame than those who are &o
busied with worldly things which are so needful
to be done. Verily it is perilous for a soul not to
seek to make any further progress." The only
sare thing is to "set his heiirt fully to come to
more grace and give himself heartily to prayer,
meditating and other gooil wishes,"
Such was the old Catholic life, before we were
corrupted by the society of Protestants. The
moral of the book is that a supernatural life is
common to all Chri'-tians, and that there is no
such infinite distinction between Christians in
the world and religious. Both, in different de^
grees and modes, are not safe unless they aim
at '* profiting in gr-ice." Of course, much in
Walter Hilton's hook is inapplitable' to us, yet
* P. 151.
of Mediaeval Eng^Iand
xlv
kU who are not repelled by the unusual English
will find it a very beautiful spiritual treatise. It
b not a regfimenial book, and contains few
rules. No one will find in it "a rule of life."
It is simply occupied in laying down principles,
A booJc written in the fourteenth century cannot
he expected to establish minute practical rules
r the nineteenth. It will, however, be very
uable as a specimen of the old traditional
acholic spiritual life in England. The ba^is of
spiritual life in all ages must after all be the
me ; and this booki written so long ago in the
g-otten house of Canons at Thurgarton, may
pip us now in fighting our battle of hfe in this
ry di^erent time. In this respect it will be
lesson to us. Rather mystical than ascelical,
contains an antidote to the prevailing tendency
restless activity, even in devotion. Above all,
is remarkable for containing the old English
adition of a most tender, personal love for out
es-c^ed Lord,
Now that we are threatened by a great in-
flux of Protestant morals, through the increasing
intercourse of Catholics with the world, it will be
well if this book reminds us of our past histoiy.
The great apostasy of the Reformation could
never have been successful if a terrible outbreak
of woridliness had not sapped the first principles
of Christian life among the nobility and gentry
of England. Nothing will save us now in danger-
ous times but the supernatural principles of our
Paith carried out in our lives.
THE SCALE OF
PERFECTIONS
THE SCALE OR LADDER
OF PERFECTION
BOOK I
V
PART I-CHAPTER I
Tlut the inward S(Ate oE the Soul should be like
the ocitwArd
5H0STLY Sister in Chnst Jesua, 1 pray thee that
in the calling lo which our Lord hath called thee
tor His service, thou rest contented, and a^bide
COnnantly therein, travailing busily with all the
pwera of thy soul to fulfil in truth of good life
(by the grace of Jesus Christ) the state which thou
W taken in exterior likeness and seeming ; and
^ihou hast forsaken the world, as it were a dead
f°^i], and turned to oiar Lord bodily in sight of
1^% so thou be in thy heart as it were dead
'oall tarthly loves and fears, and turned wholly
^ our Lord Jesus Christ; for be thou well as-
^f^ that a bodily turning to God without the
Iwiart foUowing^ is but a figure and likeness of
^if^ues, and not the truth in itself Wherefore
^'etched men and women rare tht^y who, neglect-
^"?lhe care of their interior, show only exteriorly
^'orru and likeness of holinessi in habit or cloth-
^l.\n speech and outward carriage and works,
1
casting their eyes upon other men's deeds, and
judging their defects, esteeming themselves to be
something', when indeed they are just nothing,
and so deceive themselves- Do not thou so ; but
together with thy body turn principally ihy heart
to Godj and frame thy interior to His likene
by humility and charily and other spiritu
virtues, and then art thou truly lumed to Him.
I say not that thou mayest early on the first day
be turned to Him in thy soul in perfection of
virtues as thou mayest with thy body be enclosed
in a house ; but my meaning* is, that thou
shouldst know that the end of thy bodily en
closure is that thou mightest thereby the bett
come to a spiritual enclosure; and even as ch
body is enclosed from bodily converse with meri
even so thine heart might be enclosed from th
inordinate loves and fears of all earthly things.
And that thou mayest the better come thereto,
I shall in this little treatise yield thee the
instructions and helps Chat I know or can.
lafl
JU
i
CHAPTER U
Of the Active Life, and lh« Hxefcises and the Vor
thereof
Thou Tnust understand that there are in the
holy Church two manner of lives (as saith St
Gregory) in which a Christian is to be sav
The one is cailed Achve^ the other ConUmpiativs
without living one of these two lives no man ma;
be saved- The Active consisteth in love anil
charity exercised exterioriy by good corporal
works, in fulfilling of God's commandments and
of the seven works of mercy, corporal and apiri-
%
The First Book
tual, towards our Christian bretliren. This life
pertains to all worldly men that have riches and
plenty of worldly goods to dispose of> and to all
those (be they learned or unlearned, lay men or
spiritual persons) that are in office or state to
govern, or have care of others; and g-enerally
all worldly men are bound to the practice of this
kind of life according to their best knowledge
and ability, and as rea&on and discretion shall
require. If he much good have» then much good
for to do ; if he little have, less may he do ; and
if he naught have, then must he have a good
will. Such works as these (be they corporal or
spiritual] are works of the Achve life. Also a
great part of it consisis in great bodily deeds
which a man exerciseth upon himself, as great
fasting, much watching, and other sharp penance,
to chastise the flesh with discretion for sins
formerly committed. As also to mortify there-
by the lusts and liJcings of the flesh, and to
make it pliable and obedient to the will of the
writ. These works though they be but Active,
they help very much, and dispose a man
in the beginning to attain afterwards to con-
templation, if they be used with discretioUp
CHAPTER m
Oi ihc ContemplalLTC Life, and the Exerdsts and
Works thereof
COXTEMPU^TIVE life consisteth in perfect love
and charity, felt inwardly by spiritual virtues;
and in a true and certain sight and knowledge
of God and spiritual matters. This life belongs
to them especially who for the love of God for-
The Scale of Perfection
sake all worldly riches, honours, worships and
outward businesses, and wholly give themselves
soul and body (according to all the knowledge
and ability that is in them) to the service of
God. by exercises of the soul.
Now then^ since it is so (dear sister] that the
quality of thy state requireth of thee to be con-
templative (for that is the intent of thy enclosing,
that thou mightest more freely and entirely apply
thyself to spiritual exercises], it behoveth thee to
be right busy both night and day in labour of
body and spirit, to attain as nigh as thou canst
to that life by such means as thou mayest End
to be best for the said end. But before I tell
thee of the means, I shall tell thee a little more
of this contemplative life, that thou mayest some-
what see what it is, and so set it as a mark in the
sight of thy souU whereto thou shalt tend, and
direct all thy exercises and doings.
CHAPTER IV
Of three Sorts ihat be of ConlempUlion, and of the
Fiisi of them
Contemplative life hath three parts. The first
consisteth in knowing God, and of spiritual
things gotten by reason and discourse, by teach-
ing of men, and by study in holy Scripture, with-
out spiritual gust, or affection, or inward relish
felt by them ; for they have it not by the special
gift of the Holy Ghost, as persons truly spiritual
have their knowledge, wKLch, therefore, is very
tasteful to them in their interior.
This part have especially ir them learned men
and great scholars, who, through long study and
The First Book
travail in holy W'nl. attain to this VnowIfcJpe
more or less by the abrlities of their natural wii,
which God giveth to every one, more or less, iliat
hath use of reason.
This knoTcIed^e ts g-ood, and may be called
a kind or part ol Contemplaticm, ina.'^miich as
it is a sig-ht of verily and a knowledge of
hpiriLual things. Nevertheless it is but a fig^uro
and shadow of true CottUmflaii&n^ since it hath
no 5piritaal gust or taste in God> nor inward
sweetness, which none feets but he that is in
>p^at love of chanty ; for it is the proper Well
or Spring of our Lord| to which no alien is
admitted. But the aforesaid manner of know-
ing is common both to good and bad, seeing it
may be had without charily, and therefore it is
noi very contemplation. Of this kind of know-
ledge S'£ Paul speakelh thus ^ // I knfw all i C^r* iQL
nvytUrtts ttmi ali knowUdg/^^ and haV€ noi chanty^
/ am rwlking.
Nevertheless, if they that have it keep them-
selves in humility and charity, and according
to their might tiy worldly and fleshly ains, it is to
them a good way, and a great disposing to
true ConUmplation if they desire and pray de-
voutly after the grace of the Holy Ghost. Other
men have this knowledge, and turn it to pride
and vain-g"lory, or unto covetousness and desire
of worldly digniti'^s, worJihips and riches, not
humbly using it to the glory of God, nor chari-
tAbly to the soul's good of their brethren. Some
of them fall either into heresies and errors, or
into other open sins, by which they discredit
themselves and the holy Church- Of thi»
knowledge St Paid speaks in these words?
KntfmUdgc puffeth up. lul chartiy fdifi^i. This
knowledge alone lifteth up the heart to pride;
I Cor. v'tii*
The Scale of Perfcclion
but mbt it with charity, and then it turns to
edification.
How Jcanted This knowledge alone ts but water, un-
mc* mfy Ar- savoury and cold. And, therefore, if thev Ihat
amtf'iw. ^^^^ .^ would humbly offer it up to our'Lord.
and pray for His ij^race. He would by His
blessing turn their water into wine, as He did
at the prayer of His Mother M the marriage
feast; that is to say, He would turn their un-
savoury knowledge into true wisdom, and their
cold naked reason into spiritual light and burn-
ing love, by the gift of the Holy Ghost.
CHAPTER V
Of ihi Sfcoad Sort ot Contempl&tion
The second part of Contefrtplation lieth princi-
pally in affection, without spiritual light in the
understanding or sight of spiritual things; and
this is commonly of simple and unlearned men
who give themselves wholly to devotion, and is
had and felt in this manners When man or
woman being in meditation of God, through
the grnre of the Holy Ghost, feeleth fervour of
love and spiritual aweetness, by occasion of
thinking of Christ's passion, or of some of the
works done by Him in His humanit>'; or he
teeleth cause of great trust in the goodness and
mercy of God for the forgiveness of his sins, or
admires the liberality of His gifts of gra\:e» or
else fepleth in his affpction a certain reverential
fear towards God, and His secret judgements and
justice, which yet he seeth not ; or being in
prayer, he findeth all the powers of his soul
to be gathered together, and the thought and
The First Book
love of his heart to be drawn up from al! tran-
sitory* things, aspiring and tending upwards
towards God by a fervent desire, and spiritual
delight, and yet, nevertheless, during that time
he hath no plain sight in the understanding
of spiritual things, nor in particular of any of
the mysteries or senses of the holy Scriptures;
but only that for that lime nothing seemeth so
pleasing and delightful to him as to pray, or
think as he then doth for the savoury delight
and comfort that he fincJeth therein, and yet
cannot he teli what it is, but he feeleth it well,
for it is a gift of God, for out of it spring many
sweet tears, burning desires, and still mournings,
or contrition for sin, which scour and cleanse
the heart ^om all filth of sir, and causeth it to
melt into a wonderiul sweetness in Jesus Christ,
and to become obedient and ready to fulSl all
God's will, insomuch that it seems to him he
makes no reckoning what becomes of himself,
so that God's will were fuLfitled in him^ and by
him^ with many other such good inspirations
and desires which cannot be reckoned. Such
feelings as these cannot be had without great
grace, and whoso hath any of them or other
&uch like, he is at that time in charity and the
grace of God; which charity, let him know to
his comfort, will not be lost or lessened in him
(though the fervour thereof may abate) but by
a deadly sin. And this may be called the
T^econd part of dmfemplationi nevertheless, this
pan hath two d*^grees.
8
The Scale of Perfcctioa
CHAPTER VI
Of the Lowep D^ree of lli« Second Sorl of Coa-
templatioc
The lower degree of this feeling-, men which are
active may have by grace, when they are visited
by our Lord, as mightily and as fervently as they
that give themselves wholly to LoniempiaU'on and
have this gift. But this feeling in his fervour
Cometh not alway when a man. would, nor lasteth
it full long» It comelh and gocth as He will tbat^^
giveth it; and therefore whoso hath it^ let hir^H
be humble, and thank G<*d and keep It secre^^
unless it be to hU confessor, and let htm hold it
as long as he may with discretion \ and when U
is withdrawn, let him not be daunted or troubled,
but abide constant In the light of faith, an humble
hope, with patient expecting till it come again.
This is a little tasting of the sweetness of the
love of God, whereof David eaith thus in the
fialm xiEtif' Psalms : Gtt-sfaiti et vid^U quoniam suav^s ei£ Do*
minus— Tasfe £ind ste htm s-weet put Lord is.
CHAPTER Vn
Of the Hie:lier Degree of the Second Sort of Coa-
tempUlion
The higher de^ee of this part may not be had
nor held hut of them which be in great rest and
quiet both of body and mind, who by the grace
of Je&us, and long travail corporal and spiriiualt
are am^'ed to a rest and quietness of heart and
clearness of conscience. So that nothing is
\
The First Book
pleasing to them as to sit still in quiet of body
and to pray always to God, and to think on our
Lord, and sometimes on the blessed name of
Jesus, wMch is comfortable and delightful to
them, by the remembering whereof they feel
themselves moved and fed in their affection
towards God, And not only the said name,
but also all other kind of prayers (as the Pa^
Ur NosUr^ the Ave^ the liymns and Psalms^
and other devout prayers and sayings of holy
Church) are lumed, as it were, into a spiritual
mirth and sweet songs, by wliich liiey are com-
forted and strengthened aj^ainst all sins, and
much relieved in their bodily pains or diseases.
Of this degree speaketh St Paul thus : Be fwi Rphsa, t,
drunk mih wi'jie^ bul be Jilkd with Ihc IMy Gh<fs£^
speaking to yoursehes ttt psalms and hymns and
spiritual ^ngs, making melody in your hearts to
our Lord, Whoso hath this grace, let him keep
himself in humility and be ever desiring to come
to more knowledge and feeling of God, which
is to be had in the third sort of Contemplation,
CHAPTER VIII
Of the Tbiisl Sort of CoaiempUtioa
The third sort, which is as perfect Conlempla^
turn as can be had in this lite, consisteth both
in knowing and affecting; that is^ in knowing
and perfect loving of God, which ia when a
man's soul is first reformed by perfection of
virtues to the image of Jesus, and afterwards,
when it pteaseth God to visit him, he is taken
in from all earthly and fleshly affections, from
vain thoughts and imaginings of all bodily
lO
The Scale of Perfection
creatures, and, as it were, much ravished and
taken up Irom his bodily senses, and then by
the grace of the Holy Ghost is enlightened^ ti>
see by his understanding Truth itself [which is
God) and spiritual thing's, with a soft, sweet,
burning love in God, so perfectly thai he be-
comeih ravished with His love, and so the soiil
for the time is become one with God, and con*
foimed to the image of the Trinity.
The beginning of this CotU^mpla^ion may be
fett in this life, but the fuU perfection of it is re^
served unto the bliss in heaven. Of this union
and conforming to our Lord speaks Si Paul
Cop. f1, 17 thus ; Qut &dhaerei Dso uni*s sptritus est cum ec ;
that is to say, he who by ravishing of love is
become uriited to God, God and that soul ard
not now two, but both one. And surely in this
Ofieing consifiteth the marriage which passeth
betwixt God and the soul, that shall never bo
dissolved or broken.
CHAPTER IX
Of the Difference that is betwixt the Second oheI
Third Sort of Coaiejtipiation
The foresaid second sort of dmiempiation may
be termed a burning love in Dofotion^ and is
the lower; this third a burning love in Con--
tempiatiofi^ and is the higher. That is sweeter
to the bodily feeling, this to the spiritual feeling
inwardly, and is more worthy, more spiritual,
more wonderful. For, indeed, it is a foretaste
(so little as it is) and an earnest or handsell ■ of
the sight or Confempiaiion of heavenly joy, not
clearly, but half in darkness, which shall be per-
The First Book
tl
fected and made a clear Jight and sight in the
bliss of heaven ; as Si Paul saUh : Ncrm we see i Car, jdiL
«5 through a gUss darkiy\ bul ihen we shail sea
iace i*} /ace. This is ihe enlighlening^ of the
understanding in delights of loving, whereof
Dtrvtti saith in the Psalter; Et nox illt4-mtna- /v^ cxxiviiL
tio mea in rUluiis met^ — My night ts my lighi
tn my dehghl^ The other is milk for children,
but this ioiiii ineat Jot per/eci men, that hatt Htb. v, 14.
tktir sunset txircised (as Si Paul savlh) for tht
discerning 0/ good from eviL
To the perfection of this high CcnUmplatton
may no man come till he be first reformed in
soul to the likeness of Jesus in ibe perfection of
virtues; nor can any man living in mortal body
have it continually and habitually in the height
of it, but by times when he is visited. And as
I conceive by the writing of \io\y men, it is a full
short time, for soon after he retumeth to a so-
briety of bodily feeling: and of all this work
charity is the cause. Thus, as I understand Si
Paul speaks of himself: /-or v^heih^r W4 he be- tCot^v^i^^^
Sfde vuntives, it is to Godj or whether we be sober,
%i MS for your cause ; it 11 the love of Christ that
eonstraineth us; that is, whether we overpaj^s
our bodily senses in Contimpltition^ or we are
more sober to you in our bodily feeling, the love
of Christ straineth us. Of this part of Ctmtempla-
tiffn and of reforming to God speaketh St Paul
openly, thus : But we all with open face, behold- ; Cti/. lil, i&
ing tfj in a glass ihe glory of tmr L ord, are changed
nUo ihe same image /rem glory to ghry^ even as
hy the sftrit of ihe Lord. Which is as much as
if in the person of himself and all perl'ect men
he had said thus : We, first being reformed
in virtueSj and having the face of our soul un-
covered yy^ opening of our spiritual eye, behold
12
The Scale of Perfection
as in a mirror the heavenly Joy, being withal
fulshaped and oned to the image of our Lord,
from clearness of faith into clearness of under-
standing, or else from clearness of desire into
that of blessed love; and all this is wrought in
a man's soul by the sipirit of our Lord, as saith
^7 Paul.
This part of Cantempiattan God givelh where
He will, to learned sind unlearned, to men and
to women, to thera that are in g^^vernment, and
to solitary also. But it is special, and not
common- And although a man who all his
lifetime is active happen to have the gift of it
through special grace or favour, yet the fulness
of it may no man have, but he that is solitary
and in life contemplative-
,r™
CHAPTER X
Hoxv that Appearings or Shewinsfs to ihe Corpo
S^nsfs or FedinEfS may be both good and evii
By this that 1 have said may you somewhat
understand that visions, or revelations, or any
manner of spirit in bodily appearing-, or in
imaginings sleeping or waking, or also any
other feeling in the bodily sense, made as it
were spiritually, either by sounding in the ear,
or savouring in the mouth, or smelling at tha
nose, or else any sensible heat, as it were fire
glowing and warming the breast, or any other
part of the body, or any other thing that may
be felt by bodily sense, though it be never so
comfortable and liking, yet be they not very
CmUertt plat ion ^ but simple and secondary (though
they be good) in respect of spiritual ^'i^tues, and
of this spiritual knowing and loving: of God ac-
The First Book
i3
companying true Coniempiation. But all such
niTinir of teeling- may be good, wrought by a
j^ood an^l, and ttiey maybe dpceivable, wroug-ht
by a wicked angel, when he iransfi^rdh htm-
uifinio an atig^l o/ h'ghL Wherefore shh" they
may be both good and evil» it appeareth they are
not tlic best. For, mark ye well, that the devil
may. when lie hath leave, counterfeit in bodily
fcelmg the likeness of the same thing's the which
a good ange\ raay work ; for just as a good ang^el
cometb with light, so can the devil. And as he
can do this tn matters of seeing, so can he do it
in matters of the other senses. Whoso hath felt
both, he can well tell which were good and which
were eAil. But he that never felt either, or ehe
but one of them, may easily be deceived.
These two be alike in the manner of feeling
outwardly, but they are full different within, and
therefore they are not to be desired greatly, nor
to be entertained lightly, unless a soul can by
the spirit of discretion know the good from the
eril, that he be not beguiled, as S£ John saith :
Irttst not every s^irii, but essay first whether it
U of God or no. Wherefore by one trial that 1 i Stf^hn \t, u
&ball tell thee, methinketh thou shalt know the
good from the evil.
CHAPTER XI
Hov thou sLaIi know whether tlie Showiagr or
ApparilJon m thf bodily Senses and Feelings be
Bcod or evil
If it be so that thou see any manner of light or
brightness with thy bodily eye or in imagination,
other than every man seeth ; or if thou hear any
* Siooe.
t4
The Scale of Perfection
pleasant, wonderful sounding ^th thy ear, or in
thy mouth any sweet sudden savour, other than
what thou kfiowest to be natural, or any he^t in
thy breast likeftrc, or any manner of delight in
any part of thy body, or if a spirit appear bodily
to thee, as it were an angel to comfort thee or
teach thee: or if any such feeling, which thou
knowest well that ic cometh not of thyself, nor
from any bodily creature, beware In that time, or
soon after, and wisely consider the stirrings of
thy heart ; for if by occasion of the pleasure and
liking thou takest in the said feeling or vision,
thou feelest thy heart drawn from tl;e minding
and beholding of Jesus Christ, and from spiritual
exercises, as from prayer, and thinking of thyself
and thy defects, or from the inward desire of vif^
tues, and of spiritual knowing and feeling of God,
for to set the sight of thy heart and thy affection,
thy delight and thy rest, principally on the sai*!
feelings or visions, supposing that to be a part
of heavenly joy or angels' bliss, and thereupon
comest to think that thou ahouldst neither prav
nor think of anything else, but wholly attend
thereto, for to keep it and delight thyself there-
in : then is this feeling very suspicious to come
from the enemj' ; and therefore, though it be
never so liking and wonderful, refuse it and
assent not thereto, for this is a sleight of the
enemy. When he seeth a soul that would en-
tirely give itself to spiritual exercises, he li
wonderfully wroth ; for he hateth nothing more
than to see a soul in this hody of sin to feel verily
the savour of spiritual knowledge and the love of
God, which he himself, without the body of sin,
lost wilfully. And therefore, if he cannot hinder
him bv opo^n sinning-, he will let and beguile him
ti vanity of bodily savours or sweetness in
by
First Book
15
the senses, to briTig a sou] into spiritual pride and
Into a tal&e security of hlmseif, weening that he
lad ttiereby a feeling of beavenly joy, and that
teiiVialt in paradise, by reason of the delight
befeeleth a"bout liini. when indeed he is near to
Wlgate^; and so by pride and presumption he
migU fall into errors or heresies, or phantasies,
w otber bodily or spiritual mischiefs^
Bui if It "be so that this manner of feeling let
not thy Heart from spiriiual eitercises, but maketh
th« more devout, and more fervent to pray^ more
wise to thinlc ghostly thoughts, and though it be
50 XtiOX it astonish thee in the beginning, never-
theless afterward it tumeth and quickeneth thy
heart to more desire of virtues, and increaselh
thy love more to God and to thy neighbour, also
it maVeth thee more humble in thy own eyes — by
these tokens mayest thou know that it is of tiod,
wrought by the presence and working of a good
uigelf and cometh from the goodness of God,
either for the comfort of simple devout souls, for
to increase their tru^t and desire towards God,
to seek thereby the knowing and loving of God
more perfectly by means of such comforts. Or
eUe if they be perfect that feel such delight, it
seemeth to them lo be an earnest and as it were
a shadow of the glorifying of the body^ which it
shall have in the bliss of heaven ; but 1 wot' not
whether there be any such man living on earth.
This privilege had Mnry AlagdaUn fas it seemeth
to raei in the time when she was alone in the
cave thirty years, and every day was borne up
with angels, and was fed both body and soul by
iheir presence, as we read in her story.
Of this way of discerning the working of
fipirits speaketh St John in his Epistle, thus*
I6
The Scale of Perfection
I J;/tfArtlv,3. Omnis sfiritus qui sohit Jesum^ hie non £st
ex De'i — Every spirit that looseih tir unknilieth
y^jwr, he is not of God. These words, I coofess,
may be undersiood in many manners, never-
theless, one way I may understand Ihem to
this purpose, as I have said. This knitting and
fastening- of Jesus to a man's soul is wrought by
a g'ood will and a great desire to Him, only to
have Him and see llim in His bhss spiritually.
The greater this desire is, the faster is Jesus knit
to the soul ; and the less this desire is, the looser
is He knit; whatsoever spirit, therefore, or feeling
it is which lesseneth this desire and would draw
it down from the stedfast minding of Jesus Christ
and from the kindly breathing- or aspiring" up to
Him, this spirit will unknJt Jesus from the sou),
and therefore is not of God, but is the working
of the enemy. But if a spirit, or a feeling, or a
revelation make this desire more^ knitting the
knots of love and devotion faster to Jesus, open-
ing the eye of the soul into spiritual knowing
more clearly, and maketh it more humble in
itself, this spirit is of God.
And hereby you may learn that you are not
to suffer your heart willingly to rest nor to delig'ht
wholly in any such bodily feelings of such man-
ner of comforts or sweetness^ though they were
good; but rather hold them in your sight naught,
or little in comparison of spiritual desire and
steJfast thinking on Jesus ; nor shall you fasten
the thou^'ht of your heart over much on them<
The First Book
17
CHAPTER XII
How ini ia wdat things a Cont«mpUtiT« Man should
be busied
But thou shalt ever seek with great diligence in
prayer that ihou mayest come to a spiritual (heel-
ing or sight of God, And that is, that lIiou
maye&t know the wisdom of God, the endless
mig^ht of Him, His great goodness m J^ilnself
and in Hi^ creatures; for this is Contempla-
and that other mentioned ia none, thus
ith St Paul: Being roofed and gronnked tn Ephes. iH, iB.
fJkarity, we may be ahU to comprehend with alt
the iaifih ip/iat u the breadth atid length and
height and d^th. That ye may know, he saith
not, by sound of the ear nor sweet savour in the
mouthy nor by any such bodily things but that ve
may know and feel with all saints what is the
length of the endless being of God, the breadth
of the wonderful charity and the goodness of
God, the height of His almighty Majesty and the
bottomless depths of His wisdom. In knowing
and spiritual feeling of these should be the ^in^x^
asi^ of 3. CitnUmplative man. For in these may
be understood the full knowing of all ghostly
things^ This exercise is thai one thing which
St Paul coveted after> saying thus t This oite Phih'\\%^\^
thing 1 covet, which is iS\^X-^_ fargettm^ those
things that are behsnd^ and reaching forth to
those things that art hc/orc. I Press to the mark
ef the tfipernat vocation. Which is as much as
if he had said, OnA thing is best for me to
covor, and that is, that I miL^»ht forget all things
that be behind or backward, and I shall stretch
out my heart ever forward for to feel and to grip
i8
The Scale ol Pdrfcction
the sovereign reward of endless bliss. Behind
are all bodily things, forward or before are all
spiritual things. And so A/ /**/«/ would forget
all bodily things, and even his own body also,
that so he might see spiritual things.
CHAPTER XIU
How VirlLie beginnetti in Reason dnd Will and ia
perfected in Love and Likiog, or Affection
Thus have 1 told thee a little of C<miempiattm
what it is, to the intent that thou mighlest know
it and set it as a mark before the sight of thy
soul, and to desire all thy lifetime to come lo any
part of it by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.
This is the conforming of a soul to God, which
cannot be had unless it first be reformed by some
perfection of virtues turned into afiection ; which
is when a man loveth virtues because they be
g^ood in themselves. Many a man hath the
virtues of humility, patience and charity to his
neighbour, and such other only in his reason and
will, and hath no spiritual delight nor love in
Chem, for ofltimei^ he feeleth grudging heaviness
and bitterness for to do them, and yet neverthe-
less he doth them, but 'lis only by stirring of
reason for dread of God, This m^n hath these
virtues in reason and will, but not the love of
them in affection. But when by the grace of
Jesus and by ghostly and bodily exercise reason
is turned into light and will into love, then haih
he virtues in affection; fur he hath so well gnawn
on the bitter bark or shell of the nut that at
JenjTtli he hath broken it and now feeds on the
kernel t that is to say, the virtues which were
The First Book
fir^t heavy for to practise are now turned into
a very delight and savour, so that he takes as
much pleasure in humility, patience^ cleanness,
sobriety and charity as in any other deJights.
Vmly tin these virtues be turned thus into affec-
tion he may well have the second part of ConUm-
fiaiicftf but the third, in sooth, shall he not have.
CHAPTER XIV
CM the Meaiis that bring a Soul to ContempIatioQ
Now seeing* virtues dispose us to ConUmplaUimt
itbehoveth us to use the means that may bring-
lu to virtues. And they be three means which
men most commonly use that ^nve themselves to
C<mitmplaHon : As reading of holy Scripture and
g^od books; secondly, spiritual meditation;
ihirfly, diligent prayer with devotion. By
meditation shalt thou come to see thy vn-etch-
edness, thy sirs and thy wickedness; as pride,
covetousne&s, gluttony, sloth and lechery, wicked
Btimngs of envy, anger, ha.tred, melancholy,
wraib, bitterness and imprudent heaviness^ Thou
5hah al50 see thy heart to be full of vain flames
and fears cif ihe flesh and of the world. All these
stirrings will always boil out of thy heart, as
water runneth out of the spring of a stinking
weJI, and do hinder the sight of thy soul, that
thou maye.'^t never see nor feel clearly the love of
Jesus Christ; for know thou well that until the
heart b« much cleansed from such sins, through
firm verity* and diligent medit-iting on Christ's
huiranitv, thou canst not have any perfect know-
ledge of God, Himself witnessing the same in
20
The ScaJe of Perfection
Si Afatt V. His Grospel thus ; Bleised are tJu clean tit
hearty for they shall see God. In meditaiion,
likewise, shalt thou see those virtues which be
needful for thee to have, as humility, tnildness,
patience, righteousness, spiritual strength, tem-
perance, cleanness, peace and soberness, faith,
hope and charity. These virtues thou shalt see
in meditation, how good, how fair, how profi-
table they be; and by prayer thou shalt there-
upon desire and get them. Without which thirU
means of prayer thou canst not be contemplative,
for ?^ saith thus: lu ahundafttm mgrcdierts
sepu-kkrum — In fit^niy s^titli th"n cuhr Ihy grane;
that is in plenty of bodily works and spiritual
virtues shalt thou enter thy grave, that is thy
rect* in ConUmplaiioiK
Humility
decenary /itp
CHAPTER XV
SECTION I
l^at A Man should uae and rcfuK by the Virtue of
Huniility
Now if thou desirest to prosecute spiritual works
and exercises wisely, and to labour seriously in
them, it behoveth thee to begin right low ; three
things needest thou first to have, upon which as
on a firm ground thou shall set all thy work,
namely, humility, a firm faith, and resolute will
and purpose to seek aftfr God-
First, it behoveth thee to have humility on
this manner; thou shalt in thy will and in thy
feeling judge thyself unfitting to dwell among
men and unworthy to serve God in conversation
• Right rulfc
The First Book
21
with His servants, and as unprofitable to thy
Chriitian brethren, wanting both skill and power
to fulfil any good works of active life iti help of
thy neighbour, as other men and women do.
And, therefore, as a wretch and an outcast and
refuse of all men art shat up in a house alone,
that thou shouldat not grieve nor offend man or
woman by thy bad example, seeing thou canst
not profit them by any well-doing. Beyond this
it behoveth thee to look further, that since thou
ftrt 5o unable to serve our Lord by outward bodily
»works, how much more it behoveth thee to deem
thyself unable and unworthy to ser\'e him spiritu-
^ally by inward exercises; for our Lord is a spirit,
as the prophet saith: Our Lord is a Spirit before
eur fac€^ and the most kindly service to Him is
I Spiritual, as He saith Himself: Tnu worshif- st Ji>)\n\^.
\p€rs shaii 'Ujorship tht Fai/ur tn spirit ami in
•Jru/k. Thou then that art so gross, so lewd, so
Ifieshlji K> blind in spiritual things and in the
[understanding of thy own soul (which it behoveth
Nthee lirst to Euiow before thou canst come to the
knowing of God), how shouldst thou feel or think
thyself to be able or worthy to enjoy the estate or
likeness of a contemplative life, whtch con.'ii.steih
'incipally, as I have said, in spiritual knowing,
lis I apeak to thee, not that thou shouldst re-
rnt thee of thy clothing, enclosing and state of
tifei but that thou shouldst feel this humiUty
locally in thy heart (if thou canst), for this is the
very truth and no lie. And, thereupon, thou
shah night and day desire and endeavour to
come in truth as near as thou canst lo that state
which thou ha&t taken upon thee» tirmiy believ-
ing il to be the best kind of state for thee (by the
y of Godj to exercise thyself in. And though
so that thou canst not in this life attain to
22
The Scale oC Perfection
Not to fvffgt
otktrt.
the perfection of that state, yet, at leastj seeli to
make an entry into it^ and trust assuredly to have
the perfection thereof by the mercy of God in
heaven. And truly tliis is my own case, who
feel myself so wretched, frail and fleshly, and ao
far from the true feeling of that which I speak o^
that in a manner I do nothing but cry, God
mercy, and desire after it las well as I canj with
a hope that our Lord will bring- me thereto in
heaven. Do thou likewise; and better also, if
God g-ive thee grace.
The feeling- of this lowness and humility will
put out of thy heart all imprudent looking into
other men's actions, and chive thee wholly to
behold thyself, as if there were no other man
living' but God and thyself. And thou shalt
deem and hold thyself more vile and more
wretched than any one creature that liveth ; in-
somuch that thou 5hah hardly be able to brook
and endure thyself, for th? ^eatness and number
of thy sins, and the tilth which thou sholt feel in
thyself.
Thus behoveth it thee sometimes to feel aad
"!!f^ **^''^'^ judee of thyself, if Ihou mean to become truly
tin t\ hiffuffi/ humble. For I tell thee truly, if tbou will be
yocy humble, thou must think a venial sin in
thyself more grievous and painful to thee and
greater in thyaig'ht sometimes than great deadly
hina in other men. And this is most true in thy
case who aimest at Contemplation, seeing whatso-
ever hi ndereth and letteth thy soul most from the
feeling- and knowing' of God, oughteth to b^
most grievous and painful to thee. But a venial
sin of thy own letteth thee more frf}m the feeling-
otlier
A Crmttmpto-
tiv€ should
ininanaihtf.
pC]
J'
any
manS sins can do^ be tliey never so great.
It follows, therefore, that thou should^t rise
The First Book
23
mnre in thy heart against thyself to hate and
condemn in thyself all manner of sin which
ItiHb tViee from the sight of God, more than
agiinst ilie faults of other men ; for if thy heart
k clean from thy own sins, verily the sins ot
(jlhermen wUl not hurt thee. If, therefore, thou
wiU fend Test here and in heaven, do thou {ac*
raiding to the counsel of one of the hc>ly Fathers)
fevery day aslc of thyself: What am I^ and
judge no man.
But thou wilt object, how may this be, seeing ir&o ntf not
it is a deed of charity to tell men of their faults, ^^ 'f^ "''*™
and a deed of mercy to admonish ihera that they "^'^'^^'J"^'''-
may mend ?
To this I answer that in my mind, that to
thee or any other that hath taken on them the
state of a contemplative life, it belongeth not to
leave the watching over thyself to behold and
blajne other men, unless there should be great
need, 50 that a man were in danger to perish
without it.
But those men that are active and have Afulwhearu
authority and charge of others, are bound by
their office and by way of charity to look into,
inquire and rightly to judge and correct other
men's faults ; not out of a desire and delight to
punish them, but only for need, with the fear of
Gud and in Hi:* name, and for the love of the
i^vation of their souls^ Other men also who
Are active and have no care or charge of other
men are bound to admonish other men of thetr
faults out of charity only, and that when the sin
is deadly and cannot well be corrected by an-
other, and there is hopes of amendment by being
admonished, else it is better to let it alone.
That this is good doctrinej may be gathered
by the practices of St John, who was a Cvn-
24
The Scale of Perfection
timpiativt^ and St Peter, who was an Aettve
man. For when our Lord at His lost Supper
with His disciples, at the motion of St Peter to
St John» told St John how Judos should betray
Him, St John told it not to St Peter, thoiig^h
he asked hinir but turned him, and laid his
head upon Christ's breast, and became ravished
throug'h love into the contemplation oi the
Divinity and divine secrets; and that so plea-
singly and beneficially to himself that he forg'ot
both Judas and St Peter, teaching thereby other
Conitmplatives how in the like occasion they
should behave themselves.
By this that halh been said thou mayest learn
neither to judge other men nor conceive wiiling'ly
A'o/ to enftf-
tain suspi'
7hot%ad a^ against them any evil suspicions, but love thecn,
tt€iiw/t/e. nor see any faults in them, but worship in thv
heart such as lead Adive lives in the world, and
suffer many tribulations and temptations ; which
thou sitting in thy house feelest naught of; and
they endure very much labour and care, and
take much pains for their own and other men's
sustenance, and many of them had rather (if they
might] serve God !as thou dost] in bodily rest
and quietness. Nevertheless, they in the midsi
of their worldly business, avoid many sins, which
thou, if thou wert in their slate, shouldst fall
into, and they do many good deeds, which thou
canst not do. There is no doubt but many do
thus, but which they be, thou knowest not; and
therefore it's good for thee to worship * thera all,
and set them all in thy heart above thyself as thy
betters, and cast thyself down at their feet, as
being the vilest and lowest in thy own sight.
For there is neither dread nor danger in makinpf
thyself never so low beneath others, though in
■ Respect.
The First Book
^Ive sight of (iod, at the same time, thou hast
mote grace than others; but dang'er there is in
l}eing too hig-h, and lifting up thyself in thy
liioughts willingly above any other mar, though
he were the most wretched and the moat sinhil
caitiS that is in the earth ; for our Lord saiih ■
Heth<U huntblcih himself shall be exalted^ and he StLtiXexW^
Ihoi txaitcth him^tlf shall he brought kmt.
This part of humility doth tt behove tliee to
have in thy beginning; and by it, and for the
^ce, &halt thou come to the perfection of it,
and so of all other virtues. For whoso hath one
virtue, hath all other virtues; as much as thou
hast of humihty, so much hast thou of charity, of
I>atjence, and of other virtues ^ though they be
not shown or appear outwardly. Be, therefore,
busy to get humility, and hold it fast, for it is
rhe first and The last of all other virtues.
The first, as being the loundation^ as saith St
A uguittne : If thou ihink to build a high htmse of
^rtu^, lay first a dstp founditlti/n of fiumiltty.
Also, it is the last ; for it is the maintainer and
eonserver of all other virtues. SI Gngify saith :
Ih that gathcreth ^orstriveth lokeep^ virtueswith-
out humiUty, is like him that Tiiakelh or carriatk
tk4 p<mdcr of sptces tn the wind. Do thou never
so good deeds, fast, watch, or anything else,
if thou hast not huaiiUty> it is naught which
K>u Uost.
Xevertheless, if thou feelest not this humility Nov re qet
thy heart with affection, as thou wishcst. do as humiti^^f.^
I thou may est, humble thyself in will, by reasoning
and arguing with thyself, judging that by right
(hou shouldst be so humble, and thJnk of thyself
as 1 have &aid» albeit thou do not so feel it within
Ihec, and in that respect hold and esteem thyself
rtW! verier wretch, that thou canst not feel thyself
26
The Scale of Perfection
to be that which in truth thou art. And if thou
do so, though thy flesh rise against it, and will not
assent to thy will, be not loo much daunted, nor
troubled, but bear with and suffer such false feel-
ings of thy fleshy as a pain, and then despise and
reprove that feeling:^ and break down that risingf
oF thy heart, as if thou wouldst be well con-
tented to bo spumed and trodden under other
men's feet. So by the grace of Jesus Christ,
through stftdfast thinking on the humility of His
precious Manhood, shalt thou much abate the
siirrings of pride; and the virtue of humiUty,
that was first only in thy naked will, shall be
turned into feeling of affection. Without which
virtuej either in true will, or in feeling of affec-
tion, whoso dispoaeth himself to sene God in a
contemplative life, like to a blind man, he will
stumble, and never attain thereto. The higher
he climbeth by bodily penance^ and other virtues,
and hath not this humility^ the lower he falleth.
For as Si Gregory saith : He that canuot perfently
despise himsslj^ he hath never y€t found tht hum
tt-isdom o/gur Lord Jesus Christ,
SECTION n
How Hvpocritea and Herctica^ for want of Humility,
exalt tbemMlves in their Hwpls abov? oihera
HypoCRIIKS and heretics feel not this humility
neither in good-will nor in affection, but full
cold and dry are thdr hearts and reins from the
soft feeling of this virtue, and by so much the
further are they from it, as they esteem they have
it. They gnaw on the dry bark without, but the
sweet kernel and the inward taste of it they
never come to. They make a show of outward
humility in habit and holy speech, in a low
ay
The First Book
27
carriage, and (as they would make show) in
many corporal and spiritual virtues. But in the
will and affection of their heart, where humility
should be, it is but feignei. For they judge,
and despise, and set at naught other men thai
wiU not do as ihey do and teach; they eslt-eni
Ihein either fools for want of knowledge, or to be
blinded by fleshly living. And, therefore, lift
they themselves up on high in thHr own sight
above all others, weening that they live better
than others^ and that they only have the truth
and verily of right living- and of spiritual feehnj^,
and of ihe sitig"ijlar grace of God both in know-
Icige and affection above all others. And out of
this sight of themselves riseth a delight in their
heans, in which they worship and praise them-
selve*. ft3 if there were none but they. They
praise and thank God w^ith their lips, but in their
hearts, like thieves, they steal His worship and
praise, and place it in themselves^ and so have
neither humility in will nor affection.
A wretched caitiff or sinner which fillelh all
dav, and is sorry that he doth so, though he haih
not humility in affection, yet hath he it in good
will ; but an Hiretic or an Hypocrifc hath neither ;
for they have the condition of the Pharisie, who
came, as our Lord saith in the Gospel, with the
Ihtbliasn into the Temple to pray. And when he
came, he prayed not. nor aaked aught of God,
for he thought he harl no n'?ed ; but he began to
thank God. and said thus: Lord^ I ihauk TJtef
thai Th^u FiiYsi mc mart grace th\in olha-^^ tiuU
I am net Uk£ other m&n^ robbers, tttxunous, or
ffihfr su€h stfttters. lie looked beside him, and
aaw the Puhlicnn^ whom he knew for a wretch,
knocking on his breast, only cr>'ing for mercy;
then he thanked God he was not such a one as
The Scale of Perfection
Stilus XV,
Isoitis Ivv'i-
he, for Lord, said he, 2 Jasi twCct a wtek^ an J I
pay my tUh€s duly. When he had done, our Lord
said ; lie went home without grace as he came,
and got just noiigfht.
But liiou wilt say, wherein did this Pharisee
amiss, since he thanked God and spoke the
truth } I answer he did amiss, inasmuch as he
judged and reproved the PuhUcan in his heart,
who was justified of God. And he also did
amiss, for he thanked God only wilh his mouth,
but secretly in his heart he willingly delighted in
himself through pride and glorying in the gifts
of God, stealing to himself the honour of them,
and the praise and love clue to God. This is the
condition verily of Heretics and HypocrtUi, they
will not willingly pray, and if they pray, do not
humble themselves, acknowledging their wretch-
edness, but feigningly thank and love God, and
speak of Him with their mouth, but their delight
is vain and false, and not in God, and yet they
do not think so, for they cannot love God, And
as the wise man saith: Pratse is $i^S comciy in
the Tiiaiiih of a sinner^ Wherefore it is profitable
for me, and for thee, and for such other wretches,
to leave the condition of this Pharisee, and
feigned loving of God, and follow the Pttbh'can in
lowliness, asking of mercy and forgiveness of
sins, and grace Of spiritual virtues, that we may
afterward, wilh a clean heart, truly thank Him
and love Him, and yield wholly all honour with-
out feigning; for our Lord askcth thus by His
Prophet : Vpirti whotri shall My Spirti restf lie
answereth Himself, and saith: L/p^m none hut
upon the kuffthlc. poor and confrtle in hcarl^ and
htm that trenihklh at My words. If, therefore,
thou will have the Spirit of God ruling in thy
heart, have humility and dread Him.
The First Book
U
29
CHAPTER XVI
Of ft firm F^tb ntccssAiy ther«lD,and what ttiin^s wc
oue^l lo believe (hereby
The second thing which it behovelh Ihee to have Fa!t/i^
is a firm faith in a^ll the articles of thy belief,
and in the Sacraments of the holy Church,
believing them stedfaitly with all thy will in
thy heart. If thou feel any stirring in ihy heart
gainst any of them, by 6ugfife&tion of the enemy
to put thee in doubt of them, be thou stedfast,
and dread not therefore, but forsake thine own
wil, without disputing or ransacking of them,
and set thy faith in general on the faith of the
holy Church, and make no reckoiiing of the
stirrings of thy heart which seem to be contrary
thereto ; for those stirrings are not thy faith, but
the faith of the holy Church is thy faith, though
thou never see it nor feel it. And bear those
suggestions patiently as a scourge of our Lord»
by which He will cleanse thy heart and make thy
faith stedfast. Also it behoveth thee to embrace
and honour in thy heart all the laws and ordi-
tiances made by the prelates and rulers of the
Church, either in declaring of the Faith, or
concerning the Sacraments, or in general con-
cerning all Christian men, meekly and truly
a&^nting to them thoug^h thou understandcst
not the cause of making such ordinances ,
and though thou shouldst think that some of
them were unreasonable,* yet shalt not thou
judge them or find fault with them, but reverence
and honour them althou^rh they little concern
* UnaLLLfuL
30
The Scale of Perfection^
Rop*^
may
thy particular. Neither entertain thou anyopi-'
nion or fancy or singular conceit under colour of
more holiness (as some unwise people do) either
out of thy own imagination, or by the teaching
of any other man, which thwarteth the least
ordinance or g:eneral teaching of the Church.
Moreover, together with such faith, thou shalt
firmly hope that thou art ordained by our Lord
to be saved as one of His chosen by His mercy,
and stir not from this hope whatsoever thou
hearcst or seest, or what temptation befalls thee,
TTiough thou think thysH'lf so great a wretch that
thou art worthy to sink into hell, for that thou
doest no good nor serve^'^t God as thou shouldst
yet hold thee in this truth and in this hope, and
a^k mercy, and all shall be well with thee. And!
though all the devils in hell appeared ini
bodily shapes, saying to theej sleeping^ or wak^
ing, that thou shouldst not be saved ; or all men
living on earth or all the anpfels in heaven (if
possible) should say the same, yet believe them not,
nor be stirred much from thy hope of salvation.
This I speak to thee, because some are 30 weak
and simple that when they have given up them-
selves wholly to serve God to their power, and
feel any stirrings of this kind within them bn^
the suggestion of the enemyj or any of hH^|
false prophets (which men call soothsayers) that
they shall not be saved, or that their state or
manner of living is not pleasing to God, tUay be
astonished and moved with such words, and so,
through ignorance fall sometimes into great heai
nesa, and as it were into despair of salvaiionn
Wherefore it is fas it seems to mel necessai
i
/*"" for every one (th.itby the grace of God is in a
'""* and resolute will to forsake sin, and as clearly as
his conscience telleth him, su^ercth no deadly si
' be
Tht First Book
31
to rest in him, but he gfoes soon to confession for
it, and humbly betaVes himself to the sacraments
of the ChxirchJ to have a gx>od trust and hope of
salvation. Much more then should they trust and
hope, who give themselves wholly to God, and
€schew venial sins the be&t they know and can.
But on the other hand, as perilous it is for ivhoKof.
him who Heth witting^ly in deadly sin, to have
trust in salvation, and in hope of this trust will
not forsake his sin, nor humble himself truly to
God and the holy Church.
CHAPTER XVn
Of a Firm and resolufe Intent and Purpose ntcpssary
hereto
The third thing needful far thee to have in thy
beginning was an entire and firm intention ; that
is to say an entire will and a de^^^ire only to please
God, for this is charity, without which all is
nougfht which thou doest, and thou shalt set
thine intent always to search and travail how
thou irayest please Him, resting no time will-
ingly from some good exercises, either bodily or
ghostly. Neither shall thou set a time in thy
heart that thus long thou wilt serve Hira, and
then suffer thy heart willingly to fall down uj
vain thoughts and idle exercises, imagining it
needful to do so for preserving of Ihv health,
leaving the keeping of thy heart and good exer-
cises, and seeking rest and comfort for a time
oucivardly from thy bodily senses or inwardly
from vain thoughts, as it were for recreation t)f
Ihy spirit, that thereby it may be more quick and
livfly for spiritual employments. But I trow
ihou wilt not find it so. I say not that thou wilt
32
The Scale oE Perfection
be able ftilly and continually to perform this thy
intent and purpose, for ofttiraes thy bodily neces-
sities, such as eating, drinking, sleeping and
speaking; and the frailty of thy flesh shall let and
hinder thee, be thou n^i-ver so careful. But my
meanini^f and desire is that thy will and intent be
always wholly to be exercised bodily and apiri'
tually, and to be no time idle, but always lilting
up thy heart by desire to God and to heaven,
whether thou be eating or drinking or doing any
corpijral work as much as thou canst, intermit it
not willingly. For if thou have this intent it
will make ihee quick and ready to thy exercises;
and if thou fall through frailty or negligence
upon any idle occupation or vain speech, it will
smite thy heart as sharply as a prick, and make
th[?e account irksome, antl be weary of all such
vanities, ^nd turn again speedily to inward think-
ing of Jesus Christ or to some good excercise.
As to ihy body, it is good Co use discretion in
eating, drinking and sleeping, and in all mann*rr
of bodily penance, and in long vocal prayer, and
in all bodily and sensible feelings and fervours,
or earnestness of devotions, and tears and the
like, and in discoursing with the imagination in
limes of aridities and want of the feeling of grace.
In all these works it is good to use discretion,
lor the mean is the best. But in destroying of
sin by keeping thy heart, and in the continual
desire of virtues and the joys of heaven, and to
have the spiritual knowledge and love of Jesus
Christ, hold there no mean, for the greater it
is the better it is; for thou must hate sin and
all fleshly loves and fears in thy heart with-
out ceasing, and love virtue and purity and
desire them without stinting if thou canst. I say
not that all this is needful to salvation, but I
TkRrst Book
tiow it is speedful and much helping. And if
ihoulteep this full intf-nt, thou shale profit more
iTYone year in virtues than thou shall without it
in icven.
CHAPTER XVIU
A hriA Rehearsal of whil h^^h been said, and of an
OFf«rtnB made of ihcm allogprhcp to Jesus
Nov 1 have told thee of the end thou shouldst
wt in thy desire, and draw towards it as nigh
« thcu c&nst, as also what is ncudful for thee
to have in thy beginning, namely, humility, firm
tiithand an entire and strong- will and purpose,
upon which ground Ihou slialt build thy apiri-
tiJil house by prayer and meditailon and other
spiritual virtues,
Funhermore, pray thou or meditate thou, or
itiy other good deed or exercises which thou
dott, be ii either Kiood by grace or defective
iHmgh thy own fraiity, or whatsoever i: be that
itoaseest, reele:>t or hearest, smellesl or tastest,
<Hil\eT outwardly or by tiiy bodily senses or in-
«rtly by thy imagination, or knowest or per-
Cfiv«iby thy natural reason, bring; it all within
llwftnjlh and the rules of holj' Church, and cast
4ll inio tiie mortar of hunulily and break it
*i^all with the pestle of the fear of God, and
tl^towtlie powder of all this into the fire of de-
" r. and so offer it up to God. And I tell thee
tfuth that ^vell pleasing" shall this offerinpf
Ell ilie sig"ht of our Lord Jesus, and iweet
*halUhe smoke of that fire smell before His face.
Ihe sum i* this : draw all that thou acest and
irit(?ndeH within the truth of holy Church, and
^■^nk thyself by humility, and offer up the desire
d
The Scale of Ptrfection
ol thy heart only to thy Lord Jesus, to have Him
and nought else but Him, If thou do thus, I
hope, by the grace of Christ, that thou shall
never be overcome by thine enemy. This St
Car.ji. Panl teacheth ns when he saith : Whetkfr ye
&U or drinkt or vtkafsorn'er else ye do^ d^ ail in
the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, forsaking
yourselves and offering all lip to Him ; and the
means which thou shall use to this purpose are
prayer and meditation.
PART U-CHAPTER I
SECTION 1
Of Prayer, and the aeveral Sorts thereof
WJtat ^ftij*' Prayer is profitable and speedhil to be used
ift for the gL'tting of purity of heart by destroying-
of sin and brining in virtues; rot that thou
shouldst thereby make our Lord Itnow what
thou desirest, for He knowel' well enough what
thou needest. but to dispose thee and make thee
ready and ablo thereby, aa a clean vessel, to re-
ceive the grace which our Lord would freely give
thee, which grace cannot be felt till thou be
e:cercised* and purified by the tire of desire in
devout prayer. For though it be so that prayer
is not the cause for which our Lord giveth grace,
nevertheless it is a way or means by which grac<
freely given comeih into a souL
UoTtix-e ^^t now thou wilt desire perhaps to know
thou.uprcy. how thou ^shouldst pray and upon what thing
thou shoultlst set the point of thy thoughts in
prayer, and also what prayer was best for thee to
use. As to the first, I answer that when thou
The First Book
35
art wakftned out of thy sleep, and art ready to
pray, thou shalt feel thyself fleshly ard heavy,
tending ever dowmwards to vain thoughts, either
of dreams or fancies, or of unnecessary things of
the world or of the fiesh, then behoveth it thee
to quicken thy heart by prayer^ and slir it up as
much as thou canst to some devotion. In thy
prayer set not thy heart on any bodily thing,
hut all thy care shall be to draw in thy thoughts
ti^m beholding any bodily thing, that thy desire
may be as ic were naked and bare from all
earthly things, ever aspiring upward to Jesus
Christ, whom yet thou canst never see bodily as
He is in His Godhead, nor frame any image or
likeness of Him in thy imagination; but thou
mayest, through devout antl continual beholding
of the humility of His precious humanity, feel
the goodness and the grace of His Godhead.
When thy desire and mind is gotten up, and
as it were set free from all fleshly thoughts and
affections, and is much lifted up by spiritual
power unto spiritual favour and delight in Him
and of H(s spiritual presence ; hold ihou therein
much of thy time of prayer, so that thou have no
great mind of earthly things, or if they come into
thy mind that they do but trouble or affect thee
little. If thou canst pray thus, thou prayest well,
for prayer is nothing else but an ascending or
getting up of the desire of the heart into God
by withdrawing of it from all earthly thoughts.
Therefore it is likened to a fire which, of its own
nature, leaveth the lowness of the earth and
always mounteth up into the air, even so desire
in prayer, when it is touched and kindled of the
spiritual fire, which is God, is ever aspiring up to
Him that it came from.
They that speak of this fire of love know not
36
The ScaU of Pcrfcclioi
^/cPW ■» _ . . L_J=1_. ,l_- f_l. 1 f
praytr u.
neither any bodily thing nor felt by any sense of
the body. A soul may feel it in prayer or in
devotion, which soul is in iho body* but it feoleth
it not by any bodily sense ; for thuugh it Is true
that it works in and upon the soiil, that the body
itself is turned thereby into a heat and be as it
were chafed through the labour and travail of the
spiritj nevertheless the fire of love is not bodily,
for it 15 only in the spiritual desire of the ?>[>ul.
And this is no riddle to any man or woman that
have had the experience of devotion ; but be-
cause some are so simple as to imag-ine that
because it is called a fire that therefore it should
be hot as bodity fire is, therefore have I set
down thus much.
Now as to thy other question to know what
prayer is tiest to be used, 1 shall give thee my
opinion. Thou shalt understand that there be
three kinds of vocal prayer-
The first is that which was made immediately
by God Himself, as the PitUr ricsier ; the second
those that are made more generally by the
Tftret lorti of Ordinance of holy Church, as Matins, Evt^nsong
cn7JmT/r/t ^"^ Hours J the third sort such as are made by
a^u ' '^ pious men addressed to our Lord and to our
Lady and to His saints.
As to these kinds of prayers that are called
vocal, I judge that for thee that art religious and
art bound by custom and thy rule to say thy
Breviary it is most expedient to say it, and that
as devoutly as thou canst, for in saying of them
thou sayest also the PaUr nosiar and other prayers
likewise. And to stir thee up more to devotion
there be ordained psalms and hymns, and such
other which were made by the Holy Ghost, like
as the Pafer noster was. Therefore thou shalt
Wkat prayer
ts bfii to bt
First Book
37
not say them hastily nor carelessly^ as if thou
wen troubled or diacontenied for being bound to
the recital of them i but thou shalt recoiled thy
thoughts to say them more seriously and more
devoutly than anv other prayers of voluntary de-
votion, deeming for truth that, seeing it is the
prayer of holy Church, there is no vocal prayer
so profitably to be used by thee as it is. Thus
shak thou put away all heaviness, and by God s
grace turn thy necessity into good will and ihv
oblig'ation into a great freeilom^ so that it shall
be no hindrance to thy other spiritual exercises.
After this thou raaj-e&l. if thou wiit, u&e others, as
the Patfr ttos/et or any other, and stick to those
in which thou feelest mo^t savour and spiritual
comfort.
This kind of vocal prayer is commonly most
profitable for every man in the beg"inning of his
conversion, as tiein;^ then but rude and gross and
carnal : unless he have the more grace ^ nor can-
not think of spirtiual thoughts in his meditations,
for his sou! is not yet cleansed from his old sins-
And therefore J hope it is most speedful to use
this manner of prayer, as to say his Pater ncster
and his Ave, and to read upon his psalter and
such other. For he that cannot run easily and
lightly by spiritual prayer, his feet of knowledge
and love being f-^ble and sick by reason of sin,
hath need of a firm staff to hold by, which staff
IS set forms of vocal prayer ordained by God and
holy Church for the help of men's souls. By
which the soul of a fleshly man that is alway
falling downward into worldly thoughts and sen-
sual afR^ions shall be lifted up above them, and
holden up as by a staff, and fed with the sweet
words of those prayers as a child with milk, and
^ided and held up by them that he fall not into
38
The Scale of Perfection
7^^ rirwnifpr itf
those that in
the beginning
ieavt thev^xat
Prttjer^ a/the
Ckttreh and
fait loo soon to
/Va/fM ckIL
em>r5 Or fancies through his vain imaginations \
for ihat in this manner of prayer is no deceit nor
error to him that will diligentl/ and humbly
exercise himself therein.
And hereby thou mayest leam that those men
(if any such there be) who in the beginning of
their conversion, or soon after, having felt some
spiritual comfort, either in devotion or know-
ledge, and are not yet stablished therein, leave
such vocal prayer and other outward exercises
too soon, and give themselves wholly to medita-
tion, are not wise : for ofttimes in that time of
rest which they take to themselves for meditation,
imagining' and thinking on spiritual things after
their own fancies, and following their bodily
feelings having not yet received suflficieni grace
thereto, by indiscretion overtravd their wits and
break their bodily strength, and so fall into
fancies and singular conceits, or into open errors,
and hinder that grace which God hath already
given them, by such vanities. The cause of all
this is secret pride and overweening of them-
selves ; for when they have felt a little grace and
some sensible devotion, they esteem it so much
to SLupass tlie graces and favours He doth to
others that they fall into vain-glory. Whereas if
they knew but how little ir were in comparison of
thai which Grod giveth, or may give, they would
be ashamed to speak anything of it, unless it
were in a case of great necessity. Of this kind
of vocal prayer speaketh D(^id in the Psaims^
thus ; IVi'ih -my voice ftave I cried tiiUa the
L^d, with my voice hftz^e I prayed io our
Lord, Behold how the prophet, for to stir
other men to pray both wnth mouth and wiih
voice, saith : With my ^oicff I cried io G<jdy and
With my speech I Icsoughi tntr Lord,
The First Book
39
I There is another sort of vocal prayer which 15 ^^ ^etvnJ
I not by any set common form of prayer; but is, ^' **'' '''*'*'
' when a man or woman, by the gift of God, feel- ^
ing the grace of devotion, ^pedketh to God as it
were bodily in His presence, with such words as
suit most CO his inward stirrings for the lime, or
as Cometh to his mind, answerable to the feelings
or motions of his heart, either by way of re-
hearsal of his sins and wretchedness, or of the
malice and sleights of his enemy, or of the
mercies and goodness of God. And hereby he
crieth with desire of heart arid speech of mouth
to our Lord for succour and for help^ as a man
that were in peril among his enemies ; or in
sickness, showing his sores to God as to a
physician, saying with Datfi'd : Deliver me Jtem
my eptrtnies, O Lord. Or else this; Heal my
sffiU, Jor I have stnned againsl Thee; or other
suchlike words as they come to hismind.
And at other times there appears to him to
be sD much goodness and grace and mercy in
God that it delighteth him with g^eat affection
of heart to love Him, and th^nk Him in such
words and psalms as do most suit to that oc-
casion, as Dorvid saith: Con/ess y^ to the Lord ft- cxirxif,
hfcause He is good, because His rnercy cnduteik
for flwr.
This kind of prayer pleaseth God much, for
it proceedeth wholly from the affection of the
heart, and therefore never goeth away unsped*
or empty without some grace, and this prayer
belongcth to the second part of t&fitemphttofi^
as I have said before. Whoso hath this gift of
God fervently ought for a time lo eschew the
presence and company of all men, to be alone
that he be not letted :t whoso hath it let him
Ptalmvl
* UnprD!<pcroa<4
^ Intcrrupledi
40
The Scale of Perfection
hold it as long as he can, for it will not last long
in its fervour. If the grace of it come plenteous-
ly, it is wondrous painful to the spirit, though
it be much pleasant also to it ; for it is much
wasciiig to the body whoso useth it much, for it
makcth the body (if the grace of it come in abun-
dance; for to stir and move here and there as if
the man were mad or drunk and could have
no rest- This la a point of the passion of love,
the which by great violpnce ard mastery breaketh
down and mortið all lusts and likings of any
earthly thing", and woundeth the soul with the
blessed sword of love, that it makes the body
siak, not able to bear it. The touch of love is
of so great power that the most vicious or fieshly
man living on earth, if he were once strongly
touched with this sharp sword, he would be right
sober and grave a great while after, and abhor
all the lusts and likings of the flesh and all
earthly things which before he took moat de-
lig^ht in.
Of this manner of feeling speakeih the prophet
/rr.xx, J, J^nmy thus ; And /here was m^idc in my heart
as a firf boilingy and shut up in my bonts, artd
I fainiedy not ahic to bear it ; which words
may be understuod thus: The love and feeling
of God was made in my heart, rot fire, but as
boiling or burning fire ; for as material fire
burneth and wasteth all bodily things where it
cometh, right so doth spiritual fire (as is the love
of God} burneth and wasteih all fleshly loves and
likings in a man's soul- And this fire is ^hut
up in my bories, as the prophet saith of himself;
that is to say : This love filleth the powers of the
soul, as the mind, reason and wil]> with grace
and spiritual sweetness, as marrow filleth the
bones, and that inwardly^ and not outwardly in the
The First Book
4t
senses. Nevertheless it is so mighty 'ftithin that
ii worketh out imo the body, and malcpth it
quake and tremble. And yet it hath so little to
do with the bodily sense^^ and ^o u n acq u el i cited
is the body with it that it cannot skiil of it and
cannot bear it, but faileth and falleth down as
the prophet saith . Therefore our Lord tem-
pereth it and withdraweth this feirour, and
Nuff^^ieth the heart lo fall into more sobriety
and softness. He that can pray thus often, he
bpeedeth soon in bis travail, and shall get inore
of virtues in a litUe time than another without
ihis, or exercised in any other way of praj'er,
ihall get in a long time for all the bodily pe-
nance he can do. Whoso hath this need not
ifnict his body with mare penance than this
brings along with it, which will be enough if
it come often.
The third sort of prayer is only in the heart
without speech, with great rest and quictneas
both of soul atid body, A pure heart it be-
lloi.'eth him to have that shall pray after this
manner; for such only attain to it who by long
iravail t>olh of body and soul, or else \iy such
sharp touches or motions of love, as I have
before mentioned, have arrived to rest of sipirii,
10 that his affections are turned into spiritual
savour and relish, that he is able to pray con-
tinually in his heart, and love and prai*^e God
^ttliout great letting of temptations or of vani-
ties, as is said before in the chapter of the second
wrl of ConUmpiQiion. Of this kind of prayer
■V Paul sailh thu-S : If I fray with fh-e /I'/i^ue:
WT sptrti praydh, but my piind is t^ithmtt fruit.
^tliat ihen? / imll pray also in the sf^trity I
'^iii ffoy also in the vitnd ', I wilt sing in the
spirit, I will sin^ also tn the nitnd. 'That is
a
Thi fhirdsori
o/Prayert
1 Cor. xiVj 14,
15-
42
The Scale of Perfection
to say : If I pray with my tongue only, by the
consent of my spirit, and with painstaking and
diligence, it is meritorious, but ray soul is not
fed by it, for it feeleth rot the fruit of spiritual
sweetness by understanding. What then shall
I do, ssLith St Foul} And he answers, I will
pray with the exercise and desire of the spirit,
and I will also pray more inwardly in my spirit
without labour, in spiritual savour and sweet*
ness of the love and the sight of God, by the
which sight and feeling of love my soul is Fed.
Thus (as 1 understand him) could -5"/ Paul pray.
Of this manner of prayer speaketh our Lord
Lr^H. vl. in holy Writ in a figure thus : Fin shall ahuays
turn uficK iJt€ ailar^ which ih€ priest shall nourish,
fuilingioood und^TTUath in the morning every day,
thol so ths fire may not go out. That is, the fire
of love shall ever be lighted in the soul of a de-
vout and clean man or woman, the which is God's
altar. And the priesl shall every morning lay to
it sticks and nourish the fire, that is this man
shall, by holy psalms, clean thoughts and fervent
desires, nourish the fire of love in his heart, that
it go not out at any time. This prayer of rest or
quiet our Lord giveth to some of His servants,
as it were a reward of their travail, and an
earnest of that love and sweetness which they
shall have in the bliss of heaven.
SECTION II
How (hey should do that &re troubled with vain
Thoughts in their Praycts
But thou wilt say that I speak too high in this
matter of prayer, which indeed is no mastery nor
difficulty tor me to write it, but it were a great
piece of mastery for a man to practise it.
\
Th€ First Book
Thou sayest that thou canst not pray thus
d€vou:1y, nor so perfectly in heart as I speak
of; for when thou wouldst have thy mind up-
ward to God in thy prayer, thou feeiesC so many
vain thoujfhts, either concerning thy own business
or other men's, with many other lets and hin-
drances, that thou canst neither feel savour nor
re5t nor devotion in ihy prayers, and ofttimes
the more thou strives! to keep thy heart the
further it is from thee and the TiarfTer, and some-
times continues so firom the beginning to the
end« that thou thinkest ^11 lost Chat thou dost.
In answer to chat which thou saidst, that I
spake loo high of prayer, I grant well that
\ spake more than I myself can or may do.
Kevertheless I spake it for this intent that thou
ihouldst know how we ought to pray ; and when
ire cannot do so, that we should acknowledge
viT weakness with all humility and God's mercy.
Our Lord Himself hath commanded us thus:
s/iitli love the Lord thy God ^ilh all thy
■t, wiiA all thy soul and with all ihy mtghl^
lEts impossible for any man living to fulfil this
Adding 50 fully as it is said. Yet our Lord hath
bidden us so^ lo the intent, as ^7 Btrnard saith,
i^it thereby we should know our feebleness, and
tiffd humbly cry for mercy, and we shall have it,
Nevertheless 1 shall instruct thee in this point
what to do OS well as I can.
When thou goest about to pray, first make
ud frame betwixt thee and God m thy mind a
fiill purpose and intention in the beginning to
Mnre Him. then with all the powers of thy soul
tiyihy present prayer, and then begin and do as
"p!1 as thou canst. Though thou be never so
ttuch letted contrary to thy former purpose, be
^* afraid, neither be angry at thyself, nor ira-
44
The Scak of Perfection
patient against God, because He giveih thee not
The savour arul spiritual sweetness in devotion as
thou thinkest He giveth to others. But see therein
thy own feebleness and bear it patiently, deem-
ing- it to be (as it is) feeble and of no worth in thy
own 3ig"ht, with humility of spirit ; trusting also
firmly in the mercy of our Lord, that he will
make it good and profitable to thee, more than
thou ima^inest ur fceleat. For know thou well
that thou art excused of thy duty, and thou shall
be rewarded for this (as well as for any other
good work done in charity )^ though thy mind and
intention may be not 50 fully set upon it as thou
wishest. Therefore do what belongs to thee, and
suffer our Lord to give what He will, and teach
Him not. Think thyself wretched and negligent,
and as it were in great fault for such things, yet
for thii fault and all other venials which cannot
be eschewed in this wretched life lift up thy
heart to Grod, acknowledging thy wretchedness,
and cry God mercy^ with a good trust of forgive-
ness, and strive no more therewith, nor stay any
longer upon it, as if thou wouldst by main strength
not feel such wretchedness, but leave off and go
to some other good exercise, either corporal or
spiritual, and resolve to do better the next time.
Though thou shouldst fall another time into the
same defect, yea, an hundred times, yea, a thou-
sand, yet still do as I have said, and all will be
well. Moreover a soul that never finds rest of
heart in prayer, but all her life is striving ivitK
her thoughts, and is troubled and letted with
them, if she keep her in humilily and charily in
Other things, she shall have great reward in
heaven for her good will and endeavours.
The First Book
CHAPTER U
SECTION 1
Of Mcdildlion
Thou must understand that in meditation no cer-*
tain rule can be set for every one to observe, lor
ihey aj-e in the free gift of our Lord, accordiny^ to
divers dispositions of chosen souls, and according
as we thrive in that state and in virtues, so God
increaseih our meditations, both in spiritaal
knowing and loving of Him. For whoso is
always alikt^, and at a stand in knowing of
God and spiritual things, it seemeth that he
profiteth and groweth but little in the love of
God. which may be proved by the example of
the apostles, who, when at Pentecost they were
filled with burning love of the Holy Ghost, be-
came thereby neither fools nor dolts, but became
wonderful wise, both in knowing and speaking
of God and spiritual things, as much as men
could in mortal bodies. For thus saiih the
Scripture: They were all filUd with th£ Holy A^tvXy.
Ghost^ end htgan to speak (fi£ -mmidirs q/ God;
all which knowledge they got by ravishing
in love, through the working ot the Holy
Ghost wilhin them. Divers sorts of jrjediiatiifns
there be which our Lord putteth in a man's
heart. Some of ihem shall I tell thee of that
thou mayest exercise thyself in them. In tlia
beginning of the conversion of such a man as
hath been much defiled with worldly or fleshly
sins, commonly his thoughts are much upon his
sins with great compunction and sorrow of heart,
with great weeping and many tears humbly and
huj^dy asking mercy and forgiveness of God for
them* And if he be deeply touched in conscience
46
The Scale of Perfection
J>sat«i I.
}$fona/ Christ's
lan Uv is
'Vft% /rrtiy
"^t Spin/,
Urn, ^
for them (for then our Lord will soon cleanse
hiiD from them), his sins will seem ever to be in
his sight, and thai so fool and so horrible, ihat
hardly can he be able to brook or endure hims'. h
for them ; and though he confess himself never
so clearly of them, yet will he find difliculty and
a fretting and biiing in his consciifnce aboiic
them, thinking that he hath not confessed right.
And scarce can he take any rest, or be quiet,
insomuch Chat his body were not able to undergo
such vexation and pain, were it not that our
Lord of His mercy sometimes coraforteth him by
the consideration of His Passionp and devotion
wrought in him thereto ; or by some other means
as He seeth good. After this manner workeih
He in some men'* hearts more or less, as He
will, and this is through His great mercy^ that
not only will He forgive the sin or the trespass,
but will both forgive the trespass and the pain
due for it in Purgoiory, for such a little pain here
felt in the remorse and biting of conscience.
Also, to make a man rightly to receive any
special gift or degree of the love of God, it be-
hoveth thai he first be scoured and cleansed by
such a fire of compunction for all his great sins
before done. Of this kind of exercise of com-
punction often Dmnd speaks in the PsaUer^ but
especially in the psalm, Miserere met, /Jevs—
Haae mercy on me, O God.
And then sometime after this travful and
exercise, and sometimes together with it, such a
man that hath been so defiled with sins, or else
another who, by the grace of God, hath been kept
in innocency, our Lord bestoweth on him the
mcdilatiofi of His humanity, or of Ris birth> or
of His Passion, and of the compassion of our
Lady, St Mary. When this m^ditatiofi is made
Ue First 'Book
47
bylhe help of the Holy GhosI, then it is right
pro^labie and gracious, and thou shalt know it
by this token ; when thou art stirred to « mcdi-
tatitm in GoA, and thy thoughts are suddenly
drawn out from all worldly and fleshly things,
and thou tViinkest that thou ^eest in thy sonl the
Lord Jesus in a bodily likeness aa He was on
earthj and how He was taken by the y^ws and
bound as a thief, beaten and despised, scourged
and judged to death, how lowly Re bore the cro65
upon His back, and how cruelly He was nailed
thereon ; also of the crown of thorns upon His
head, and of the sharp spear that sticked Him to
the heart ; a.nd thou in this spiritual sig'ht feelest
ihy heart stirred to so great compassion and pity
of thy Lord JesuSj that thou moumest and
weepesl. and criest with all thy might of body
and soul, wondering at the goodness, the love,
the patience, the meekness of thy Lord Jesus,
that He would, for so sinful a caitiff as thou arc,
ftu^r so much pain ; and, nevertheless, thou
seest so much goodness and mercy to be in Him
that thy heart riseth up into a love and a joy and
a gladness in Him^ with many sweet tears,
having great trust of the forgiveness of thy sins
and the salvation of thy soul by the virtue of
thi$ precious Passion ; so that when the medi-
tation of Christ's passion, or any part of His
humanity is thus wrought in thy heart by such a
spiritual sight, with devout affection answerable
thereunto, know well that it is not of thy own
working, nor the feigning or working of any evil
spirit, but by the grace of the Holy Ghost. For
it is an opening of the spiritual eye into the
humanity of Christ, and maybe called the fleshly
love of God, aa St Bernard saith, inasmuch as
it is set upon the fleshly nature of Christ, and it
48
The Scale of Perfection
is rig"ht good, and a ^rf^at help for the destroy-
ing' of great sins, anil a good way to come to
virtues, and so after to the ConUniplation of the
Godhead. For a man shall not come to the
spiritual light in ConUmphtitm of Christ's God-
head, unless first he be exercised in imagination
with bitterness and compassion, and in stedfast
thinking of His humanity^ Thus St Paul did,
I C'>r, ii, and therefore first he saith ; / desireti io kna^
nothing m>wng yon hit Jt^siis Christ and Him
crucified. As if he had said: My knowing
and my faith is only in the Passion of Christ;
and therefore he &aith thus also: God fifrbid
2 sheitld rejoice {n anything, save in the cross of
Christ. Nevertheless afcenvard he saith s Ive
preach unto you Christ, the power of God and the
wisdswi of God, As who should say : First I
preached of the humanity and Passion of Christ ;
now T preach to you of the Godhead, that Christ
is the power of God, and the endless wisdom
of God.
Tkr Jiif^iiin- Bui ihls manner of meditation a man hath
tit\»tsii}ifPas. not always when he would» but only when our
Lord Will give it. Unto some He giveth it all
their lifetime by fits, when He visiteth them \
some men being so tender in theiraffections that,
when they hear men speak or think themselves
of this precious Passion, their hearts melt into
devotion, and are fed and Comforted thereby
against all manner of temptations of the enemy^
and this is a great gift of God. To some men
He giveth it plentifully at the first, and after-
wari-s withdraws it for divers causes, cither if
A'^d'Khy. a pnan grow proud of it in his own eyes, or for
some other sin by which he disableth himself
to receive the grace ; or else our Lord with-
draweth it, and all other devotions sometimes,
Stioii is cffen
The First Book
49
because He wtU sufier him to be tried with
teicptatjons of the enemy, and thereby will dis-
pose a man to understand and feel our Lord more
apijiiually, for so He saith to His disciples: It s^/o^xvi,
IS expedient for you ikat I go frway from yoti \{n
My body\^ for except I go the Holy Ghost wilt not
comM. As long as He was with them they loved
Hin) much, but it was fleshly according to
His humanity, and therefore it was necessary
that He should withdraw His bodily presencij,
that the Holy Ghost mig-ht come to them and
teach them how to love Him and know Him
more spirilually, as He did at Patiecosl. Right
so, it is eipedient for some that our Lord with-
draw a little the fleshly and bodily image from
the eye of their soul, tliat their heart may be set
and fixed more busily in spiritual desire and
seeking of His divinity.
SECTION a
Of divers T^mpiatioos cE the Enemy, and the
Remedies agLUnat them
Tentpia iions
LiHELESS it behoveth a man to suffer tnany
itions first, which shall befall some men
after that their comfort is withdrawn, and
that sundry ways by the malice of the enemy-
As thus : when the devil percelveth devotion
much withdrawn, that the soul is left, as it were,
naked for a time, then sendeth he to some temp-
tations of lust, of gluttony, and these so hot and
burning that they shall think they never felt so
grievous ones in all their life before, even when
they gave themselves most to such sins. Inso-
much as they think it impossible to stand out long
Jrom falling without help. And, therefore, have
k —
50
The Scale of Pcrfcclion
they then much sorrow for lack of comfort and
devotion which formerly they have had, and.
much dread also of falJing from God by such
open &ins. All this the devil workelh (by God's
permission) to make them repent of their gx>od
purposes, and turn back to their former courses
of winning-. But whoso will abide, and suffer a
little pain, and not turn ai^ain to ain for any-
thing, the band of our J-Xfrd is full near, and will
help them right soon, for He hath much care of
thai man that is in such a case^ though he
^^ knoweth it not; for so saith Dffvid in the person
of our Lord : / am ztfi//t him in ^ou6lct I tuiU
deliver him^ and he shall glorify Jifs. The
devil temptelh others maliciously to spiritual
sins^ as to doubt of the articles of faith, or of
the Sacrament of our Lord's blessed Body. AUo
to despair, or blaspheme of God or any of His
saints, or to a wearisomeness of their own life, or
to bitterness against others, or foolish melan-
choly and sadness, or too much fear of them-
selves, of doing" hurt to their healths by giving
themselves so much to serving of God< Some
Others, and namely solitary folks, he frighleth
with dreads and ugly shapes appearing to their
eyes or to their imaj^nations, causing often
thereby great shakings and quakings in their
bodies, either sleeping or waking, and so trou-
bletb them that they can hardly take any rest.
And also many other ways he lempteth, more
than I can or may say.
Tkt WTHediei The remedies for such may be these. First;
..ffimpfaii^nJ ^-^^^ ^^ ^ a|l ^^ J^ ^ ^ - J ^ j
Satan. Chnst, and often call to mind His Passion and
the pains that He suffered for us, and ihat they
then believe stedfaslly that all sorrows and tra-
vail which they suifer in such temptations, which
Th€ First Book
51
to unskilful m«n may seem a forsaking' by God,
are indeed no ^uch leavings or forsaking'Sj but
trials for their good, either for deansing- of their
former sins or lor the great increasing' of their
reward an<I the dispo^iny of lliem for more grace,
if they will but sutffT awhile and stand fast, that
thev turn not again willingly to sin.
Another remedy is that they fear not, nor
esteem these malicious stirrings for sins, nor lay
to heart that despair or blasphemy, or doubtings
of sacrament, or any such other, though never so
ugly to hear; for the feeling of lliese UmpUUvms
delile the soul no more than if they heard a hound
bark or felt the biting of a flea. They vex the
souJ indeed, but do not harm it, if so be a man
despise them and set them at nought, for it is
not good to strive with them, as if thou wouldst
cASt thexn out by mastery and violence, for the
more they strive with them the more they cleave
to Ihem. And therefore they shall do well to di-
vert their thoughts &"om them as much as they
can, and set them upon some business. And if
they will still hang upon them, then it is good
for them that ihey be not angry nor heavy
through feeling of them ; but with a good trust
in God bear them ''like a bodily sickness and
scourge of our Lord for the cleansing of their
sins as long as He pleaseth) out of love to Rim,
even as He wa!i willing to be hcourged and bear
His cross for the love of them. Moreover, it is
^ood for them to open their minds to some wise
man in the beginning, before these temptations
gvri rooting in their heart, and that they forsaka
their own wit and judgement and fallow the coun-
sel of another. But that they show them not un-
advisedlv or lightly to any unskilful or worldiv
man, who never felt such temptations, for such
52
The Scale of Perfection
may happily by their unskilfulness bring a simple
soul into despair.
Jhirirrnf^vaf Of this manner o{ kmpiatioTi, by which a man
jiT'iA'f^^'^ seemeth forfiaken of God, and is not^ the help and
to rom* from comfort IS this : The Lord saith by His fropiui^
Gad. For a Ulili. spare have I lefi ths£, hut m grea/
JsaMatiiv. mercy mil J gatker fkfc. For a momini &/ in-
dr'gntiii'on havr: I hid My face a little while from
thee, and in viercy sverlasling will I have mercy
on thcc. As if lie had said, I suffered thee to
be troubled a little while, and in a point of My
wrath I smote thee ; that is to say, the penance
and the piiin that thou sufferest here is but a
point or little prick of My wrath, in regard of
the pain of bell or of purgatory. Yet in My
manifold mercies I shall gather the© ; when thou
tbinkeit tliyself fursaken, then will 1 of My great
mercv gatiier thee again to Me \ for when thou
cstecmest thyself, as it were, lost, then shall our
/rf KL Lord help thee, as y^ sailh : Whtn thou, shalt
think thyself ovtsunud^ thou shalt arise as the
day-star, and thoii sh^lt hand cmfidrjjce. That
is to say, when thou art brought so low b/ tra-
vail into lemptaiion that thou de>pairest of help
or comfort, Hke a forlorn man, yet stand stiffly in
hope and pray to God, and vcnly thou >halt sud-
denly spring up as the day-stur, in glMness of
heart, and have a sure trust in God.
Moreover, for the comfort of such men, thai
they may not despair in templalion, the wise
^.ed. \\r, iB, man saith tliu^ of our Lord : In tcmpUUttm
He 'Wiilkcfti "xilh hitn, and hringeth fear and dread
upon hitrit and tonncnts him with His disciplint:,
till He try him in his cogifafimis, a?id may truiS
His sonl : And He loill e^iahlisk him^ and make
ti [direct :vity unto him, and jnake him Had, and
Tei/i dfschse His secrets to him^ and mil neap uf<m
The First Book
53
itra ns Irinsurcs knird'hdge of under sttifufing ond
ft^ticc* The wise man, because he would have
not despair ir temptation, lo comfort ihft^m saith
thus: /w UmptiJti(*n intr Lord forsdketh not a man,
du/ go€ih wtth him from iht beginning to /V/ff cfui.
VoT be saith first. He chooseth hiniT and that is,
when He draweth a man to Him by comfort of
devotion, and afterward bringeih upon him sorrow
and dread and trials, and that is when He with-
draweth devotion and sufferelh bim to be tempted.
And he saith that He lormenteth him in tribula-
tion until He hath well tried him in his thoughts,
and until a man will put all his tru^^t in Him
fully, and then He bringcth him out into the
right way, and fasteneih him to Him, and glad-
deneth him, and sheweth him His secrets, and
gi\-€th him His treasure of knowing and under-
standing of righteousness.
By these words may you see that these i'/«//«-
iums or any other, be they never so ugly, ara
expedient and profitable lo a man that by grace
ti iTi full will to forsake sin, if he will be willing
to suffer and abide God's will, and not turn again
to ^in which he hath forsaken, for any sorrow,
or pain, or dread of such temptations; but ever
stiind still in travail and in prayer with good
hopp. Our Lord of His enJless goodness hav-
ing pitv and mercy of all His creatures, when
He sccth lime, will put to His hand and smile
down the devil and all his power, and ease him
of his travail, and put away all dreads and
sorrows and darkness out of his heart, and
brings into his soul the light of grace, opening
the eye thereof lo see, that all tlie travail that
be hath had was expedient for him, giving him
also fresh spmtual might to withstand all the
suggestions of the fiend and all deadly sins
54
The Scale of Perfection
without great difficulty, and leadelh him into a
stability anJ settledness af virtue and good liv-
iT\g ; in wliich^ if he keepeth himself humble to
the eiidj then will lie take him wKolly to him-
self. Thus much have I said^ that thou might^^t
not be troubled or letted with any such tempta-
tion, or too much afraid; but do as I have said,
and better if thou canst, and I hope through ihe
gfrace of Jeaua Christ thou shalt never be over-
come by thine enemy.
Tnic A^d 0/ But after thou hast escaped these temptations,
'/J"'T r^" Of e3^«? if <^^^ Lord hath so kept thee (as He dorh
tkitu hasi pas- , ,,. . ^, . ^f , \ . .
udthestitmp- many by His merc^'j that thou hast not been
taiioHs, troubled much with any such, then it is good for
thee that thou beware of turning thy rest into
idleness; for there is many a man that taketh
rest upon him too soon, as if he were ripe for
test in Contemplation^ But if thou wilt do well,
begin a new g:ame and a new travail, atid that
ip, by rmditationy to enter within into thy own
soulj for to know what it is, and by the know-
ing thereof to come to the spiritual knowledge
of God- For St Austin saith. By the knowing
of myself 1 shall get ihe knowledge of (xod,
I say not that such exercise is absolutely ne-
cessar^^t and thy bounden duly, unless thou feel
thyself stirred up by grace, and as it were
called thereto. For our Lord giveth divers gifts
where He pleaseth, not all to one man. nor one
to every man, save the gift of charity, which is
common lo all.
Therefore, if a man have received a gift &om
God, as devotion in prayer, or in the Passion of
Christ, or any oiher, be it never so little, let him
not leave it quickly for any other, unless he as-
surpdly find and feel a belter, but hold that which
he hath, and exercise himself therein seriously,
ever desiring a better when God will give it.
TSevenVieless, if that be withdrawn somewhat,
and he seeth a better, and feel&th his hean
stiireC thereto, then seemelh it to be a calling
oi Dur Lord to the better, and then is it time
that be follow after it, to g-et it, and fall to
practise it as speedily as he may.
CHAPTER in
That a Mac shouli know iLe tue&suTe of his Gift,
ihal he may desire and lake a belEcr when God
siveth it
Our holy Fathers heretofore taught us that we
should know the measure of our gift, and there-
fore to work upon it, and accordirg to it, and not
take upon u^, out of our head or imagination, to
have more in our feeling- or ability than indeed
we have. We may ever desire the best, but we
may not ever work the best or our utmost, be-
cause we hav^ not yet received that grace and
ability. A hound that runneth after the hare
only because he seeth other hounds run, when he
is weary, he stayeth aitd restelh. or turneth home
again; but if he run because he seeth or is in
view of the hare, he will not spare for wearinesfl
(in he have caught her. Right so it is in the
spiritual course, whoso hath grace, bo it never
so little, and wittingly leaveth it, and the work-
hig upon it, and putteth himself to the exercise
or practice of another kind, for which he hath not
as yet received a gift or grace, but doth it only
because he seeth, readeth, or heareth that some
others do so, he may perhaps run awhile till he
be weary and then will ho turn home again, and
if he be not the more wary, may hurt his feet
The Scale of Perfection
with such fancies before he get home. But he
that conlinueth working upon such grace as he
haih, and huinbly heggeth by prayer perseve-
ranity for more, and after feeleth his heart stirred
to follow after the grace which he desired, he
may securely run, if he Iteep himself humble.
Therefore, desire of God as much as thou wiU
or canst, without measure or moderation at all
concerning any thing that belongs to His love
or Heaven's hHss, for he that can desire most of
God shall feel and receive most ; but work as
thou mayest and cry God mercy, for that Chou
canst not do. Thus Si Paul seems to mean,
0>T. viL when he said ; Every ofie hafh a proper gt/l of
Gud, one so, and tifictJtir so. Also, when he said :
r dr. nil ^^cre are varieties o/ giftt, to one is given the wtyrd
ff misdontt to aiwiher ifie wttrd of kn&wiedge^ etc
Bphrs iv. And also when he said: To e^tfy one of us is
given gracSy according to She measure of tne dona-
tion of Christ. And furihen where he said :
That we may km^v the things fh<zt are given us
fy God. He sailii that every one hath his gift
of God : For to every man Skat shall he saved is
given a grace according lo tlu measure of Christ's
gift. Therefore it is speedful that we know the
gifts that are given us by God, that we may \\ ork
in them, for by those we shall be saved, a»i some
by bodily works, and by deeds of mercy, some
by great bodily penance, some by sorrow and
weeping for their sins all their lifetime, some by
preaching and teachingj some by divers graces
and gifts of devotion shall be saved and come
to bhss.
4
PART m-CHAPTER I
Of the Knowledge of a Man's Soul lad the Powen
thereof ncc^ssaiy to Contemplation
Thejie is one work more very needliil and ex-
pedient to travail, in which 1 esteem also to be
the plain highway in our working' (as much as
may be) to ContemphUon ; and that is, for a man to
enter into himself, to know iiis own soul* and the
powers thereof.
By this inward sight thou shnlt come to see
the nobility and dignity that naturally it had in
it£ first creation ; and thgu shalt also see the
wretchedness and the mischief which thou art
fallen into by sin. From this sight will arise
a desire with great longing in thine heart to
recover agam that dignity and nobleness which
thou hast lost. Also thou ahalt feel a loathing
and detestation of thyself, with a great will and
desire to destroy and beat down thyself and all
things that let thee from that dignity and that
joy. This is a spiritual work, hard and sharp in
the beginning, for those that will go speedily and
seriuiisly about it. Far it is an exercise in the
soul against the ^ound of all sins, little and
great, which ground is nought else but a false
mistrusted love of man to himself- Out of this
lo^-e, as St Austin saith, springeth all manner
of *«iiiT deadly and venial.
Verily until this ground be well ransacked
and deep digged, and as it were dried up by
casting out of all fleshly and worldly loves and
fe^us, a soul can never spiritually feel the burn-
ing love of Jesus Christ nor have the homeliness
' Thn fwmcB* and tbe fonlncds of it.
58
The Scale of Perfection
Si.
of Ht3 gfracious presence, nor have a dear sight
of spiritual things by light in the understanding.
This then must be the travail and labour of a
fnan, to draw his heart and mind from the fleshly
love anil liking of all earthly creatures, from vain
thoughts- and from fleshly imaginations and from
the love and vicious feeling of himself, so that the
soul shrill or may finti or take no rest in any
fleshly thoughts or worldly affections- Then in-
asmuch as the soul cannot as yet find her spiri-
tual rest and satisfaction in the sight and lovt of
Jesus, therefore it must needs be that in the
meanwhile she must tind and feci some pain and
wearisomeness.
This pain and travail is somewhat straight
and narrow^ nevertheles>i I hope it is the way
which Christ leacheth to ihem that would be His
Zvifjuik perfect lovers in the Gospel, saying: Strive io
en!^ in ai ths sfrutt ,^(ite, for slratf is the
gaic^ and Totrrow is the rujy that Icadcth io ii/f^
and /av men find it. How strait this way is.
He lelleth us in another place; Whoso Tviti
SiMait. xvL corrt^ after me, let him fi/rsake himself and hale
St John xiL his OTvn soui. That is to say, forsake all fleshly
love and hate his own carnal life and vain liking
of all his bodily senses for love of Me ; and take
the cross, that is suffer the pain of this awhUe
and then follow Me; that is to say, in Con-
UmpiatiQti of My Humanity and of My Divinity.
This is a strait and narrow way that no bodily
thing can pass through it, for it is a slaying of all
sin, as Si Paul saith: Mortify your members
Ikiit are upon earthy not the members of our body
but of our soul, as unctsanness^ tus/, evit etm-
cupiscfitcc, avarice, fond love to ourselves and
earthly things. Therefore as thy endeavour has
been heretofore to resist bodily sins and open
/««. lir.
The First Book
59
temptations of the enemy, and that in matters as
it were from without; right so it behoveth thee
now, in this spiritual work uilhin thyself, to batter
down and destroy the groand of sin in thyself as
much as ihou canst. Which that thou mayesc h^
better able to perform, I shall give thee the best
counsel I can.
u
CHAPTER U
Of the "WotlbloCfiS md Excellency of xh^ SouI ani how
it woa losL
The soul of a man ia a life consistirg- of ihree /fevmanir
powers, ^ftmory^ Umicrst'indtng and Will-, afier '*''«Hfo/'
the image and likeness of the Blessed Trijiity ; jU^Jl'^
inasmuch as the Memory was made strong and
siedfa&t by the power of the Father to hold and
retain God in perpetual remembrance, without
forgetting, distracting or letting of any creature,
and so it haih the likeness of the Father. The
(/tidt:ritanding was made bright and clear, with-
out error or darkness, as perfectly as a soul in a
body utiglorjfied could have, and so it hath the
likeness and image of the Son. who is infinite
wisdom, The Will and affections were made
pure and clean, burning in love towards God,
without sensual love of the flesh or of any crea-
ture by the sovereign goodness of God the Holy
(thost, and so it hath the likeness of the tloly
Ghost, which is blessed love. Whereby you
may see that man's sool (which may be called
a created Trinity} was in its natural estate re-
plenished in its three powers with the remem-
brance, sight and love of the most blessed un-
created Trinity, which is God.
This was the dignity and worth of man's soul
6o
The Scale of Perfection
rdaeu A> sin.
by nature at his first creation, which thou hadst
Jlvwhchsiif. in AJum before the first sin. But when Adam
sinned, choosing love and d^Hght in himself and
in the crtatures, he lost all his excellency and
dignity^ and thou, also, in him, and fell from that
Jilessed Trinity into a foul, dark, wretched trlnilyi
ihat is to say, into forgetting of God and igno-
rance of himself, and into a beastly love and
liking of himself, and all this he did wittingly
and wilHng-ly. For, as Dat'sd saith in the
Psalter: Man betrtg in honour utid-crshod ii ngf,
tuid, there/ort^ Ite losf ii, avd btcams like a beast.
See then the ^VTetchedness of thy soul, for as
the Mctnory was something established and fixed
upon God, so now it hath forgotten Him and
sefketh its rest in the creatures, now in one
creature and thpn in another, and never can find
full rest, having lost Him in whom is full rest.
So it ia with the l/ndfrUiinding ax\*\ iho If/// and
affections, both which were pure in spiritual
favour and sweetness but now is turned into a
foul, beastly lost and liking in itself and in the
creatures and in fleshly favours, both in the
senses as in gluttony and lechery ; and in the
imagination, as in pride, v^in-glory and covetous-
ness. insomuch that thou canst do no good deed
but it is defiled with vain-glory ; nor canst thou
easily make use of any of thy five senses cleanly
upon anything that is ph:asain, but thy heart
will be taken and enliamed with a vain lust and
liking of it, which putteth out the love of God
from thy heart, so that no feeling of love or
spiritual favour may come itilo it.
Every man that liveth in spirit understandeth
well all this. This is the soul's wretchedness and
our mischief for the first man's sin besides all
other wretchedness and sins which thou ha?^t
vtilfuHy added thereto. And know thou tvlU
ihil hadst thou never committed a.ny sin with
^y body, either mortal or venial, but only this
which is called original [for that is the first sin.
and is nothing eJse but the losing of our
hghieousnesa which we were created in), ihou
il^i^uldst never have been saved^ had not our
Lord Jesus Ciirist by His precious Passion de-
Uvereu Ihee, and restored thee again.
Andj therefore, if thou think I have herein
spoken too high, because thou canst neither under-
aiand it w*ll, nor practise it according' as I have
delivered, I will now descend to thee, and fail as
low as thou canst desire, both for xhy profit and
my own. Then say thus : though thou be never
&o much a wretch, atid hast committed never so
great sins, do but fors^Jke thyself and all thy works
done, both" good and bad, and cry God mercy, and
ask salvation only by virtue of thiH precious Pas-
sion, and that with a good trust* and without
doubt thou shalt have it. And as for original
sin, and all other thou shalt be safe, yea, as safa
a^ an anchoret that is enclosed. And not only
thou, but all Christian souls that trust upon His
Passion and humble themselves, acknowledging
their wretchedness, asking mercy and forgive-
ness, and Che fruit of this precious Passion only,
and submitting themselves to the Sacraments of
holy Church, chough it be so that they have
been encumbered with sin all their Htetime, and
ne\-er had feeling of spiritual favour or sweetness^
or ghostly knowledge of God, yet shall they in
this faith, and in their good will, by virtue of this
precious Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ be safe,
and come to the bliss of Heaven^
All this thou knowest well, but yet it delights
me lo recite and speak of it, that thou mayestsee
tkis, man maf
hi strueii hy
ihf Past inn
of Olrttf, h*
He t^trt-er ja
wrtfcAfdt
62
The Scale of Perfection
taaii sianrrs.
/«/n.
~ TTieen^ra the GTidless mercv of our Lord, how low He
T.*'':7_f_^^ falleth to thee and'to me and to all sinful caitifTsj
ask mercy chpreforp, and have it. Thus saith ihe
Prophet in the person of our Lord : £very one
that calUlh upon the Name of out Lord shalt be
Remans K. sovfit; that is to say, asketh salvation by Jesus
and His Passion.
Wkoshailhe This coLirtesy of our Lord some men under-
pariakefs of stand aH^'bt, and are saved thereby ; and others
not!'^*'^" in tru'^C of this mercy and :his courtesy lie ^till in
their sins, and think to have the benefit otit when
■ they list, but they are mistaken, for they are taken
■ ere they are aware, and so damn themseh'es.
I wi, ji ^"* ^^^'^ ^'^^ object: If this be true that thou
ftpa^fj^Z sayeht, I wonder greatly at that which I find in
/oi'f of/esjLS some holy men's books, for some say (as 1 undcr-
Ae nfctssaij> staid tlieii:^ that he that cannot love this blessed
Name Jesus nor find and feel in it spiritual ioy
and dL'liyht with sweetness, shall be a siranger
to the bliss of Heaven, ard never come there.
Verily when I read these worda^ they astonished
me, making me afraid. For T hope (as you have
said) that through ihe merc>' of our Lord they
shall be safe, by keeping of the tiommandmenta
and by true repentance for their former evil life,
who never felt any such spiritual sweetness, in
the Name of Jesus, and therefore I marvel the
more^ to find them say (as me thinketh] the con*
trary hereto.
To this I answer that (in my opinion) their
saying (if it be well understood) is true, and no
wbit contrary to what I have said, for this Name
Jesus is nothing else in English but healer or
health. Now every man that liveih in this
wretched life is spiritually sick, for there is no
man that liveth witlicut sin, which is a spiritual
sickressj as St John saith of himself, and of other
end ho^.
The Fiist Book
63
perfect men thus: // wf say we have no sir/, we '-^'A**!-
begiiiU ourseivesy and thcrt is no truth in us.
Therefore he can never come to the joy of ^d
Heaven, till he be first healed of this ghostly H
sickness. But this spiritual healing may no ^|
man have (that hath the use of reason) except ^|
he desire it, and love it» and have delight there- ^|
in, inasmuch as he hopeth to get it. Now the ^|
Name of Jesus is nothing else but this spiritual ^|
health ; wherefore it is true that they say, that ^H
no man can be safe, unless hi^ Love and liki^ the H
Name of Je^us ; for no man can be spiritually ^|
healed, until he love and desire spiritual health'; ^|
just as if a man were bodily sick, there could no ^|
earthly thing- be so dear, nor so needful to him, ^|
nor so much would he desire it, as bodily health \ ^|
for thoiJg"h thou shouJdst give him all the digni- ^|
lies and riches of this world, and not make him H
whole (if thou couldst), thou pleaseth him noL ^|
Ki^ht so it is to a m^n that is sick spiritually, ^|
and feeleth the pain thereof; nothing* is so dear, ^|
nor so needful, nor so much coveted by him» as ta ^|
ghostly health, and that is Jesus, without whom ^|
all the joys of Heavi?n cannot please him. And ^H
this is the reason [as I take it) why our Lord ^|
when He took man's nature upon Him for ouc ^|
salvation, would not be called bv a nama be- ^|
tokening" His infinite essence, or Hia wisdomp ^|
or His justice^ but only by that which betokened ^|
the cause of His coming, namely, the salvation of H
man's soul^ which salvation this name Jc:4us be- ^|
tokened. Hereby, then, it appeareth that none H
can he saved unless he love salvation, to have it ^|
ihrough ihe mercy of our Lord Jesus only, by the H
merits of His passion ; which love he may have H
that liveth and dieth in the very lowest degree of H
chanty. ^|
64
The Scale ol Perfection
Also I may affirm on the other side, that he
that cannot luve this blessed name Jeaus with a
spiritual joy, nor increase in it with heavenly
melody here, shall never have nor feel in Heaven
the fijlness of sovereign joy, which he that could
so love it in this life by abundance of perfect
charity in Jesus shall then have and feel in
Heaven, and so may their saying be understood.
Nevertheless he shall be sa,ved. and have
great reward in Heaven from God, whosoever in
this life is in the lowest degree of charity by
keeping God's commandments. For our Lord
st/oh'ixW. saith : In My Father's house are sundry mtin-
stons. Some are perfect souls, who in this life
are filled with charily and graces of the Holy
Spirit, ard sing* most sweetly and loving'Iy to
God in Contemplaiitm of Him, with wonderful
sweetness and heavenly savour. These because
they have most charity and grace of the Holy
Ghost shall have the highest reward in the bliss
of heaven, for these are called God's darlings.
Others there be, not disposed or enabled to Con-
UmpiattoUy nor having the perfection of charity
(as the apostles and martyrs had in the begin-
ning of the holy Church), these shall have a
lower reward in the bliss of Heaven, for these
are called Goa's friends; for thus doth our
Lord call them ; £ai, My friends^ arid he
iTubriaUd^ O My darlings. As if He had said:
Ye that are My friends, because ye have
kept My commandments, and preferred My love
before the Jove of the world, and loved me more
than any earthly thing, ye shall be fed with the
spiritual food of the Bread of life. But ye that
are more than My friends, that not only kept
My commandments, but also nf your own free will
fulEUed My counsels, and loved Me entirely with
GiJU/'f- 5-
f^e First Book
65
i^l tbe po^vers of your aoul% and burned in My
VjvcwitlY spiritual delight (as especially did the
i^^stles and martyrs and all other souls that
IhTDUgh grace came to the gift of perfeciion) ye
5haU be made drunken with the noblest and
fre^Tiest v/lne in My cellar, which is the supreme
]0j of love in heaven*
CHAPTER m
SECTION 1
That ■ Man sdoutd be induslrLom lo recover Again
his ancient Dignity, and reform within him ihe
Image ot the Trinity, and Low it may be done
Nevertheless, though this that I have said be This mrrry
true, through the eadles^s mercy of God to thee and ^'*' *** *^
tome and to all mankitiil we are not, Inerelore, upott.
in confidence hereof to be more careless, or wil-
fiilJy negligent in our living; but the more busy
to please Him, and the rather, because now w©
are restored again in hope by the passion of our
Lord, to the dignity and bliss which we had lost
by Atiam's sin. ThouKlh we should prove not to
be able to recover it fully here in this life, yet
should we desire and endeavour to recover the
image and likeness of the dignity we had, so
that our soul inight be reformed, as it were in
a shadow, by grace to the image of the Trinity
which we had by nature, and hereafter shall
have fully in bliss. For that is the life which
is truly contemplative to begin here, in that feel-
jfig of love and spiritual knowing of God, by
opening of the spiritual eye, which shall never
he lost nor taken away, but shall be perfected in
a far higher manner in heaven. Thus did our
Lord promise to St Mary Ulagdahn (that was
5
66
The Scale of Perfection
SiLHt,rx.
Thh fiHa^ it
ptr/ttf!j in
ihU iij€.
Deut.^1
a true CottkmpiiUtvc) when He told her i^ai
$h£ had ehf>s^n the bi-ller part (which was the
love of God in CQntcmpiitiwn) that should ncaer
he ttth.n from hfr.
I do not say that in this life thou canst re-
cover so whole and so perfect a cleannesa and
innocency, knowing and loving of God, as thou
hadst at firat, and shalt have hereafter, neither
mayest esizape all the wretchedness and pains
of &m ; nor that thou living in mortal flesh
canst wholly destroy and kill within thee all
false vain loves^ nor eschew all venial sins, but
that they will [unleas they be stopped by great
fervour of charity) spring out of thv hearty as
water doth out of a stinking' welh But 1 wish
that if thou canst not fully quench it, yet thou
mayest somewhat slack it, and come as near as
thou canst to cleanness of soul. For our Lord
promised to the children of Isratly when He led
them into the land of Promise, and in them by
a figure to all Christians, saying r Alt the land
which thy /oift shall tread upan shall he thine.
That is to say, so much laud as thou canst tread
upon with thy foot of true desire, »o much shalt
thou have in the land of Promise, namely, in the
bliss of Heaven, when thou comest thither.
SECTION n
Xbat ibis Dignit7 and Image is rcston*':! by Jesu^
and how He is to be desired, souEfht and foun4
'jV>m> J^sui it Sef.Kj then, that which thou hast lost^ that thou
robgrnu^fit. mayest find ii ; for well I wor, whosoever once
hath an inward sight, but a Httle of that dignity
and that spiriiunl fairness which a soul hath by
creation, and shall have again by ^ace, he will
The First Book
67
loatlie in his heart all the bliss, th« liking and
the fairness of this world, as the stink of
carrion; and he will never have any will or mind
to do other deed, night or day fsave what mere
need of nature requireth) but desire, mourn, seek,
and pray how he may come again thereto*
Nevertheless inasmuch as thou hast not as yei By ffesin»g
seen what it is fully, for thy spiritual eye is not ^■'«-
yct opened, I shall tell thee one word for all, in
the which thou shah seek, desire and find it; for
in that one word is all that thou hast lost, lliis
word is Jesus : I mean not this word Jesus painted
upon the wall, as written in letters on the book,
or formed by lips in sound of the mouth, or
framed in thy mind by imagination, for in this
wise may a man that is void of charity find Him ;
but 1 mean Jesus Christ, that blessad Person,
trod and Man. Son of the Virgin Mary, whom
this name betokencth ; that is all goodness, end-
less wisdom, love and sweetness, thy joy, thy
glory, and thy everlasting bliss, thy God, thy
Lord, and thy salvation.
If, then, thoa feelest a great desire in thy
heart to Jesus, ftither by calling to mind this
name Jesus, or by minding, or thinking, or say-
ing of any other word ; or in Prayer, or Medita-
tion, or any other deed which thou dost; which
desire is so much, that it putteth out, as it were, by
force all other thoughts and deairea of the world,
and of the flesh, that they rest not in Ihy heart ;
then s«efcest thou well thy Lord Jesus. And when
thoti feelest this desire to God, or to Jesus (for
it IS all one), holpen and comforted by a ghostly
might, insomuch that it Is turned into love, affec*
tion, and spiritual savour and sweetness, into
light and knowing of truth, so that for the time^
the point of thy thought is set upon no other
68
The Scale of Perfection
created thirg-, nor feeleth any snrring' of vam-
g^lor)'. nor of self-love, ror any other evil affec-
tion (for they cannot appear at tliat time), but
this thy desire is only enclosed, rested, softened,
suppled, ard anointed in Jesus, fJieJi hasf thou
found somtru'h'jf of 'Je^us : I mean not Him as
He ia, but a shadow of Him ; for the better that
thou findest Him, the more shak thou desire
Him. Then observe by what manner of prayer,
or meditation, or exercise of devotion thou find-
est greatest and purest desire stirred up in thee
to Him, and most feeling of Him, by that kind
of prayer, exercise or work seekest thou Him.
best, and shalt best find HLm. Therefore if it
come into thy mind, asking as it were of thy-
self: IVhai hast thou tost, and what seekest thi>u f
lift up thy mind and the desire of thy heart
to Jesus Christ, though thou be blind^ and canst
see nought of His Godhe^-Ld, and say that: Htm
hast tiiuit lost, and Him TVoiildsi thou have, arid
twthing but Him^ to he with Him where He is.
No other jay\ no other bliss in Heaven or in
earthy but Him.
And though it be so, that thou feelest Him in
devotion, or in knowing, or by any other pift
or grace, rest not there, as though thou hadst fully
found Jesus; but forget that which thou hast
found, and always be desiring after Jesus more
and more, to Snd Him better, as though thou
hadst right nought found in Him. For wot
thou well, that what thou feelest of Him, be it
never so much, yea, though thou wert ravished
with St Ptiul into the third heaven, yet hast thou
not found Jesus as He is in His joy; know
thfhUj or feel thou never so much of Hira, He is
still above it. And therefore, if thou wilt fully
find Him, as He is in His joy, do thou never
The First Book
69
cease from spiritual desiring and loving of Him,
whilst ihou Uvest.
Verily I had rather feel and have a true and
clean desire in my heart to my Lord Jesus Christ,
though I see little of Ilim with my spiritual eye,
than to have without this desire all the bodily
penance of all men living*, all visions, all revela-
tions of Angels appearing, all songs and sound-
ing to the ear, all tastes and smelHngs, fervours
or any delights, or bodily feelings, and (to be
brief, all the joys of heaven and earth which ate
possible to be had, without this desire to my
T_ord Jesus. David the Prophet felt (as I con-
ceivej this desire in himself, when he said thus :
What fiGve I in Hearsn but Thee, and what can
I desire en earth bestJes Ihee ? As if he had said,
Lord Jesus, what heavenly joy is liking to me
without desire of Thee, whilst I am on earth, or
without love of Thee when I come to Heaven ^
As who should say, right none. If, then, thou
wilt feel anything of Him, bodily or spiritually,
covet nothing but only to feel in truth within
ihee a desire of His grace and of His merciful
presence, so that thou mayest think that it is not
possible for thy heart to find any rest in anything
but in Him. Thus coveted David, when he said
thus : J/y ioul hath caveied, or longed ufieft the
desire c/ thy righteousness nt oil times. Seelc,
then, as Duvid did. desire by desire* And if thou
feelestj by thy desire in prayers and in medica-
tions, the familiar presence of Jesus Christ in
thy soul, bind thy heart fast thereto, that it fall
not from it ; and if thou shouldst stumblej that
thou maye^t soon find Him again.
Seek, then, Jesus, whom thou hast lost, for
He would he sougbl» and is desirous to be found,
for He Himself saitk: Eitery one thai seekelh
it is io hiiifr
tkr desire v/
PiaJrti Ixxii.
Ptalpi ciEVLlit ^
In Af Sought
St MiilU »ii.
70
The Scale of Perfection
P/ouw tL
Si Luit XV.
ffsux hy^
L I. His Wini.
St Luitv\\\^
3. Ren ion.
StMait. vi.
jirtdeih. The seeking is prtlnful, but the finding
is joyful ; tlo, therefore^ after the coun.sel of the
wise man, if thou wilt find Him : // ifwu shait
seek wisdom (thai is JesusJ tike srlvrr^ and as
treasures shidt dig her ufij then shait Skou under-
stand the fear of our f.ord, and shatf Jiiid the kmrw-
iedge of God. It behovetli theo to delve deep in
thy heart, 'or therein Jesus is hid, ard cast out
perfectly all loves and likings, sorrows and fears
of all earthly thing's, and so shalt thou find
wisdom, that is Jesua.
Be thou, then, like the woman in the Gospel,
of whom our Lord saith : il'ha£ ivoman is iher^^
that halh lost her groat at jd doth twt tight a candle^
and turn her house upside dtrwft, and seek titi she
finds it f As who should say, there is norif^ but
would do so. And when she hath found it, she
calleth to her friends, and sailh to them thus;
Make mirth with me and mett>dy, for I have f<tund
viy groat which I had t&st. Tills groat is Jesus
which thou hast lost, and if thou wilt find Him,
light up a lanthorn, that is God's Word, as Daifid
saith : Thy Word is a tantfrnrn to my feet. By
this lanthorn ahalt thou see where He is, and
how to find Him. And if ihou wilt, thou mayest
together with this, light up another lanthorn^
that is the reason of thy souK For as our Lord
saith ■ Ihe lanthorn (or light] 0/ thy body is thy
bodily eye. Right so may it be said, that the
lanthorn of thy sojI is reason, by the which
thy soul may see all spiritual things. By this
lanthorn mayest thou find Jesus, ihat is if thou
hold up this lanthorn from underneath the
bushel, as our Lord saith i No tnan ttghteih a
(candle or) tanthom to set it under a bushel, &ut
u/>on a cafidUstick, That is to say, thy reason
must rot be overlaid with earthly business, or
The First Book
71
vain thoughts, and earthly affections, but always
upwards, above all vain thoughts and earthly
things as much as thou canst. If thou do so,
thou shall see all the dust, all the filth and small
motes* in thy house ffor He is ligbt itself), that
is to say, all fleshly loves ard fears in thy soul,
1 mean not perfectly aiJ ,- for as David gaith :
Wh& kncrmsth all his irc^P'isses f As who should
say, no man. And thou ahalt cast out of thy heart
all such fiinSr and awc^p thy soul clean with tho
besom of the fear of God, and wash it with thy
tears, and so shah Ihou ilnd thy grr<iat, Jesus;
He is thy groat, thy penny, ihy heritage.
This groat will not be found so easily as 'tis
thought, for this work is not of one hour nor
of one day, but many days and years, with much
?«weat and labour of body t and travail of soul.
And if thou cease not, but seek busily sigh and
sorrow deeply, mourn stilly,J and sloop low, till
ihine eyes water for anguish and for pain, for
that thou hast lost thy treasure Jesus, at the last
(when His will is) well shalt thou find thy groat
Jesus, When thou hast found Him, as 1 have
r^aid, lliat is when in purity of conscience fceiest
the familiar and peaceful presence of that blessed
man Jesus Christ, at least a shadow or glimmer-
ing' of Him \ thou mayest, if thou wilt, call alt
thy friends to theo to make mirth with thee and
melody, for that thou hast found thy groat Jesus,
See then the mercy and courtesy of Jesias*
Thou hast lost Him, but where ? Sootbly in thy
house, that is to say, in thy soul, that if thou
hadst lost all thy reason of thy soul by its first
sin, thou shouldst never have found Him again ;
but He left thi^e thy reason, and so He is still in
thy soul, and never is quite lost out of it,
*UdU«. t Swuik. ^Silvatly,
Psalnt x>iii>
/fe tftusi ^
sought W'ik
ssnit paint.
/ii -3fhaf ptar* ■
/csus is hU
and fumnJ,
and Coifa
Mt'ty maiti- i
fnied ktitiii.
72
The Scale of Perfection
Isttias xIvp
Nevertheless thou art never the nearer Him
till thou hast found Him. He is in thee, though
He be lost from thee ; but thou art not in Htm
till thou hast found Him. This is His mercy
also, that He would suffer Himself to be lost
only there, where He may be found, so thai thou
ne^idest not run to Rortif, nor to yttrusaUm to
seek Him there, but turn thy thoughts into thy
own soul where He is hid, as the Prophet saith ;
Truly thou art ths hidJ^n God^ hid in thy soul,
and seek Him there. Thus saith He Himself in
SiyTnti. xiiL the Grospeli The Kingdom cf Htav^n is likened
h a trcastirt hid in ihc field,, Ihc which ndtm a mun
_^/fdef/i^ /or /{fv thern't, he goeih and selU-th all that
he hnihy andcuyeth thiit field. Jesus is a treasure
hid in the soul. Then if thou couldst find Him
in thy soul, and thy soul in Him, I ^m sure for
joy thereof thou wouldat part with the liking' of
all earthly things to have Him. Jesus sleepeth
in thy heart spiritually, as He did sometime
bodily when He was in the ship with His di-
sciples; but Ihey, for fear of perishing, wakened
Htm, and soon after He saved them from a
tempest. Do thou so, stir Him up by prayer,
and waken Him with great crying of desire, and
He will soon rise and help thee.
Nevertheless I believe thou sleepest oftener
to Him than He doth to thee; for He calleth
thea full oft with His sweet, secret voice, and
stirreth thy heart full stilly, that thou shouldst
leave ail other janglini:? of other vanities in thy
soul, and hearken only to Him- Thus saith David
in the person of our Lord t Hertr^ daughter^ and
A. xliv. eonsidet] tnchne thtnee^ir^ and forget thy tnvn people
atui thy fiifher's house. That is, forget the people
of thy worldly thoughts, and the house of thy
fleshly andnaturalafFtJcLlons. Here thou seeslhow
tire the iefs
Mnit hit'
l/aul.
The First Book
73
Stj9k» XIV,
out Lord calleth thee, and all others that will
hearketi to Him. And what hindereth thee that
ihou canst neither sec nor hear Him? Soothly
there is so much din and noise in thy heart of
vain thoughts and fleshly desires, that thou canst
neither hear Him nor see Him r Therefore put
away those unquiet roises» and destroy the love
of sin and vanity, and bring into thy heart the
love of virtues and full charity, and then shall
thou hear thy Lord speak to thee.
As long- as Jesus findelh not His image HmuHitxaHd
reformed in thee^ He is strangle, and the far- ff^arHyar-e
iher from thee ; therefore frame and shape thy- ^^f^J^
self to be arrayed in His likeness, that is in /««.
humility and chanty, which are His liveries, and
then will He know thee, and familiarly come to
thee, and acquaint thee with His secrets, Thus
saith He to His disciples : It'^vso iaveth Ah; he
skait he icved ef My Father-^ and I •mill natm/esi
Myiei/ unfa him. There is not any virtue nor
sjiy g^od work that can make thee like to our
Lord without humility and charity, for these two
above all others are most acceptable to Him,
which appeareth plainly in the g-ospel, where
our Lord sp£^aketh of humility thus : Learn of ^^ j^^^^ j^-
Mt^forl am meek and humhU m heart. He saith
notf Learn of me to go barefoot, or to go into the
desert, and there to fast forty days, nor yet to
choose to yourselves disciples [as I did), but
learn of Me meekness, for 1 am meek and lowly
in heart. Also of charity He saith thus; Thts is i"/yyA/» xiiU
Afy commandment, thai ^e icvc cne another as J
laved you, for by thai men ihaH krwTo you for
My disapiis. Not that you work miracles, or
cast out devils, or preach, or teach, but that each
one of you love one another in charity- If there-
fore thou wilt be like Him, have humility and
74
The Scale of Perfection
charity. Now Ihou knowest what rharity is,
namely, Te hvc tky ncighhcur as ihysiif.
CHAPTER IV
SECTION I
Of (fie Ground and Ima^e of Sin in us, which tfl
tjfst 19 be found out and laboured agaiost, and
how it is tu be done
Thou hast heard already what thy soul is, and
what dignity and beauty it had^ anJ how it last
it, and also how it may by grace and busy travail
be somewhat recovered ag:ain, in feeling, in part
in this life. Now I shall tell thee (according' to
my feeble ability) how thou mayeat enter into
thyself to see the ground of ain, and destro}' it as
much as thou canst, and so recover a part of thy
eoul's dignity-
/Tow™* To do this thou shalt cease for a time from
should beheld ^\ bodily works, and from all outward business
as much as thou canst, then shalt thou draw thy
whole thought into thyself from all thy bodily
senses, which thou must hold in and restrain
from wandering forth, so Chat thou take no heed
of arythiug thou seest or hearest or feelest, and
after this draw in thy thoughcs nearer from all
imaginations of any bodily deeds done before by
thee, or of any cither men's deeds i and this is not
difficult to be done at that time when thou ha^t
devotion, but thou must do it also when thou
hast no such devotion, and then it will be some-
what difHcult. And set thy intent and full
purpose, as if thou wouldst not seek nor find any-
thing but only the grace and spiricual presence
of Jesua.
Tht First Book
75
This will be painhU ; for vain thoughts will
pre^s into thy Vieart very thick, to draw ihy mind
down to them. And in doin^ thus thou shalt
find somewhat, but not Jesus whom thou seekest,
but only m naked remembrance of His name-
But what then shall thou find. Surely this: a
dark and ill-favoured imagpofthy own soul, which
hath neither litrht of knowledge nor feelini^ of
love of God. This image, if thou behold it hrt-d-
fully» is all inwrapped and clothed with black
stinking rags of sin, as pride, envy, anger,
covetousnesfi, gluttony, sloth and luxury. Thia
is not the ima;^e of Jesus, but the image of sin,
which Si Paul calleth a body of iin and of dfafk.
This imag'e and this black shadow thou bearest
about with thee wheresoever thou goeal ; out of
this spring many great streams of sin^ anrl small
ones also. Just as out of the image of Jesus, if
it b« reformed in the beams of spiritual light,
will spring- and ascend up towards heaven burn-
ing' desires, pure affections, wise thoughts and
all comeliness of virtues. Even so out of this
image spring stirrings of ptide, of envy and
such other, which cast thee down from the come-
liness of a man into a beast's likeness.
Peradventure now thou bej^innest to think
with thyself what this image is like, and that
thou ahouldst not study much upun it, I will tell
thee- It is like no bodily thing. What is it
then, sayest thou ? Verily it is fwnght. or no real
thing, as thou shalt find^ if thou try by doing as
I have spoken ; thai is, draw in thy thoughts
into thyself from all botiily things, and then shalt
thou fintl right uoughf wherein thy soul may rest.
This iwihing is nought else but darkness of
conscience, and a lacking of the love of Gnd and
cf light i as sin is nought but a want of good, if
Si^m.
76
The Scale of Perfecdon
mutf takt
pains about
this cart
ima^e oj sii-
it were so that the ground of sin was much
abated and dried up in thee, and ihy soul was
reformed right to the image of Jesus; then if
thou didst draw into thyself thy heart, thou
shouldst not find this tujughi, but thou shouldst
find Jesus; not only the naked remembrance of
this name, but Jesus Christ in thy soul readily
leaching thee \ thou shouldst there find light of
understanding and no darkness of ignorance, a
love and liking of Hira, and no pain of bitter-
ness, heavinesb or tediousness of Him, But be-
cause thou art not reformed, therefore when thy
Boul draweth into herself from all bodily things
and delights, thou findest nothing but emptiness,
darkness and heaviness \ so that thou thinkest it
an hundred years till thou be out again to some
bodily delight or vain thoughts, and it is no
wonder; for he that cometh home to his house,
and findeth nothing but stink and smoke, and
a chiding wife, he will quickly run out of it.
Even so thy soul, finding no comfort in itself,
but black smoke of spiritual blindness, or great
chiding of guilty or fleshly thoughts, crying
upon thee that thou canst not be in peace^ verily
it will quickly be weary of being alone and
recollected, until it be out again. And this is
the darkness of conscience.
Nevertheless, in this dark conscience it be-
hoves him to labour and sweat; that is (o say,
it behoveth thee to draw thy thoughts into thy-
self from all boiiily things as much as thou cansl,
and then when thou findest right nought but
sorrow and pain, and blindness in this darkness,
if thou wilt find Jesus, thou must suffer the pain
of this dark conscience, and abide awhile therein.
And here also thou must beware that thou take
Jesus Christ into thy thoughts against this dark-
The First Book
77
ness in thv mind, by bijiiy prayer and ferv»?nt
de:^i^e lo God, noE setting the point ot thy
thoughts on that aforesaid voughi, but on Jesus
Christ whom thou desirest. Think stiffly on His
Passion and cjn His hiimility, and through His
mig'ht thou shaJt arise, Do as if thou wouldst
beat down this dark image^ and go tluough-
stitch with it. Thou shalt hate and loathe* this
darkness, and this nought, jast as the devil> and
thou shalt despise and all to break it,1" For with-
in this rumghi is Jesus hid in His joy, whom thou
shalt not find with all thy seeking, unless thou
pass this darkness of conscience.
This is the ghostly travail I spake of, and the
cause of all this writing is to stir thee thereto, if
thou have grace. This darkness of conscience
and this jwughi is the image of the first Adam.
St Paul knew it well, for he said thus of it : As \ Cxtr. */,
tw have bcfitrt hitrnf^ the imag€ oj the earthly man,
that i* the first Adam, '"'if^^ ^^ ^^^'^^ ^^ might m^w
hotr the image of the hcavcttly man, which is Jesus,
ihe second Arinm. St Paut bore this image oft
fun heavily, for it was so cumbersome to him
that he cried oat of it, saying thus : O who shall gtnt, vTi,
dr'tiver me from thts body and this imas^e of death 'f
And th-^n he comforted himself and others alao
thus: The grace of God through yesus Cfirist,
SECTION U
What the said Image of Sin 1% properly, anJ what
coni£lh out of it
I HAVE alreaJy told thee of this image, thai it is
nought. Nevertheless, if thou canst not under-
stand how thi^ should be an image, seeing
nought can be nothing else but nought, and so
' AgiiiiE. t hresl iu
78
The Scale of Perfection
for all my telling thou canst make nothing of it, ■
1 shall therefore tell Ihce more plainly of this -'
image a^ methiiiketh.
Sevfi PiTtrs This iinag"e is a. false inordinate love of thy-
'/fiT/m "' **^^' *^"* ^^ ^^" ^^^''^ ^^^^ ^^^ manner of sins
"' " "'¥^- i^y seven rivers, which are these : pride, envj-,
aagerj sloth, covetousness, gluttony and lechery.
Lo, this is somewhat that thou KiayestuTiderstaTid-
^^^_^ By some one of these rivers runneth out all
^^^H manner of mu, and putteth thee out of the 5tate
^^^H of charity, if it be a deadly sin ; or letteth the
^^^1 fervour of thy charity, if it be venial. Now
^^^F mayest thou grope* at least that this linage is
^^H not altogether 7WUgh£\ but it is much of bad,
^^^B for it is a great spring of love unto thyself, with j
^^^V such rivers as I have said, |
^T But now, sayest thou> how can this be true ?
H For I have forsaken the world, and am shut up j
H in a monastery; I meddle with no man, I chide
H not, I strive not, I neither buy nor sell, T have j
■ no worldly business, but by the mercy of God I
H keep myself chaste, and withhold me from de-
H lights. And, besides this, I pray, I watch, I
W labour bodily and ghostly, as well as I can; ,
how should this image then be so much in me
as thou speakest of?
Th*tprirtff To this r answer, granting thee that T hope
of^iuhrsf xhOM dost all these works and more ; and yet
wYthin. niay it be true as I say. Thou art busy to ihy
power to stop these rivers without, but the
L spring within perhaps thou leavest whole. Thou
H art like to a man which had in his yard a stink-
H irg well, with many runnings from it, who ivent
H and stopped the runnings, and left the :^pring
H whole, and thought all was well ; but the water
Iw First Book
79
n,
sprang up at tlie ground of Uie well, and stood
still, insomuch that it corrupted all ths fairness
of his gcwden. and yet did no water run out.
Kig'ht so may it be with the©, if it be so that
thou hast by grace stopped the rivers of this
image wuhout, so far thai all is done wellj but
beware of the spring withini surely unless thou
stop and cleanse that as much as thou cannt, it
will corrupt all the flowers of the garden of thy
soul. 5how they never so fair outwardly in sight
f men.
But now, saj-est thou^ whereby shall I know /fova mnn
hat the ground is stopped, if I go about it * As '"^^f^""^,
to this 1 shaU tell thee, how by try'mg and ex- Tj'r'i^b!
perience thou ahalt know this image if it be in stopped.
thee, and how much it is in thee, and thereby
fthalt thou know how much it is stopped in thee,
and how little also. And inasmuch as pride is
the principal river, 1 shall begin with it.
^^^^P CHAPTER V
^K SECTION I
Of the Seven Deadly Sins, and first of Pride, what it
iMf tnd when it is a deadly Sin A-nd when but v^nUl
PRIDB ia nothing else (as the learned aay) but
love of tby own excellency, that is, of thy own
worship. The more thou lovest and llkest thirn;
own honcur, the more thou hast of this pride;
the more thou hast of this image in thee. If
thou feel in thy heart a stirrirg of pride, that
ihou art hoi ler^ wiser, better and more virtuou^i
than others, that God hath given thee grace to
»frve Him better than others do, and ihinkest
all others beneath thee, and thyself above them,
So
The Scale o£ Perfection
7S# priviiege
that Or.j-
iians have in
relation to
and The stir-
tingn 0/ lin.
WhfH thw
stirri'i^ of
/Vi'rfr ore
tnorfah
or any other thought of thyfself, which showeth
to the eye of thy soul an excellency and a sur-
passing of others^ and thou feelen a love and
delight in this stirring, and a vain pleasing- in
thyselft that indeed thou art so ; this is a token
that thou bearest this black image, which, though
it be privy from the eyes of men, yet it appearecli
openly in God's sight.
But thou sayest that thou canst not eschew
such stirrings of pride, for oft thou feeJest them
against thy will, ami therefore thou boldest them
no sin ; or, if they be sin^ they be nought but
veni&l.
As to this, I answer that the feeling of these
stirringsofpnde, or of any other sin, which spring
either out of the comiption of this foul image or
by incasting or suggestion of the enemyi is no
sin so far as to the feeling of them. Neverthe-
less, when by negligence and thy own blindness
this feeling is received unwarily in thy thoughts,
and turned into love and liking, then is there sin
in It more or less according to the measure of this
love, sometime venial and sometime deadly.
This is a grace and privilege by virtue of
Christ's passion granted to all Christians bap-
tized in water and the Holy Ghost. For verily
to Jcojs and Saracens, who believe not in Jesus
Christ, all such stirrings are deadly sins. For
St Paul saitb -. Whafsoever ts d&ne without faith
in Christ is sin. But we Christians have this
privilege through His mercy, that such feelings
are no sins, but the pain of original sin.
But when it is venial and when it is deadly
I cannot fully tell thee ; nevertheless, a little I
shall say, as methinketh. When the stirrings of
pride are received and turned into liking, so far
that the heart chooseth them for a full rest and
The First Book
Bi
a full delight, and scekcth no other end, but only
ibe liking therein, then is ihl.s pride deadly sin ;
lor he maketh and chooð this delight as his
god^ without any opposing of his reason or will,
and therefore it is deadly sin.
But now, sayesi thou, who is such a fool as to
choose pride for his God? No man living', sure,
wiU do 50. To this I answer that I cannot tell
thee in special who stnneth deadly in pride. But
in general I shall say that there be two sorts of
pride, one bodily and the other spiritual. Bodily
pride is of fleshly living- men; spiritual is of
hypocrites and heretics. These three sin deadly
in pride; I mean such fleshly living men as J>V
/'^ji*/ speaks of ! If ye live afUr the fleshy ye sfmit ^"i- viii.
die. Then aay 1 thus ; That a woridly man who
Joveih and. seeketh principally the worship of
himself, and chooseth the liking of it as the rest
of his heart, and the end of his bliss, he sinneth
deadly.
But now ihou wilt say: Who doth choose the And-v^htn
love of his worship, credit or honour, instead of ^^'"^
bis God r I answer, that he that loveth his wor-
ship, as for to seem better and greater of estate
than any other, and travaileth about it as much
as he can ; if he love i: so much that for the
gelling, or keeping, or the saving of it, he break-
etb the commandment of God, or breaketh love
and charity to his neighbour, or is ready, or in
^11 will to break it rather than he wotild forbear
liis w^jrship, or lose anything of it, either in his
name, or in his estate, or of fulhlling his will;
soothly he Hnneth deadly, for he loveth his wor-
ship, and chooseth ii more than the love of God
and of his neighbour. And nevertheless, the man
that sinneth thus deadly will say with his mourh
thai he will not choose pride for his god, but he
6
82
The Scale ol Perfection
And in whom.
begfuileth himself, for he chooseth it for his god
in iiLs deeds.
N**vertheles5, another worldly man that loveth
his own worship and pursueth after It, if he love
it not so much, that he would not for the gettirg-
or the saving of it do a deadly sin, or break
cliarity to his neighbour, he siniielh not deadly
but venially, more or less according lo the
measure of hia love and of his likingj with other
circu mstan ces.
But a man or woman that disposetli himself
or herself, to live contemplatively, if it be so that
he forsake himself as to his own wilt, and offer
up himself wholly to God with a full general will,
that he will not sin in pride wittingly, nor have
any joy in himself wilfully, but only in God, as
far as he can, and may; and notwithstanding'
after this full will offered up to Grod, feeleth many
stirrings of vain-gloiy, and delighteth in them
for the time (because at the first he did not so
well perceive them), this liking is but venial sin,
and, namely, if it be so, that when he cometb to
himself he reprovcth himself, and withslandeth
this stirring with displeasure of his will, and
asketh mercy and help of Grod ; then the liking"
which before was some sin, our Lord of his mercy
soon forgiveih it ; and moreover he shall have
reward* for his ^ood travail in withstanding it»
And this is a courtesy of our Lordj granted
Gad's spttiai to all those who are specially His serx'ants and
setvvHfs. domesticst of His court, as are all those that for
His love forsake, with a good true will, ail
worldly and all fleshly sin, and give themselves
wholly both body and soul unto His service, wiih
all their might and cunnings ^s do truly A^uhor-
tUs enclosed, and all truly religious persons who
Wftnnrt
• Moit. t Homely.
Th« First Book
83
for the love of God and salvation of their own
NOiils enler into any reli)?ioti5 order approved by
ho]y Church. Or else, if it be so, that they enter
first for worldly respects, or for their bodily sui-
lerance, or some oiher such; if ihey repent them
and turn it irito & spiritual respect, as for the ser-
vit:e of God ; these as long as they keep this will
and pursue it as well as their frailty will permit,
are true religious persons.
Also, what man or woman soever he be; in
what degree soever he jiveth in holy Churcli,
priest, clerk or layman, widow, maid or wile,
that will for the love of God and salvation of
his, or h*fr, own soul forsake all the worships and
and likings of this world, in the world, in his or
her heart truly and fully betwixt God and them-
selves^ and all unnecessary business and earthly
things, even to what they have bare need of, and
offer up their will entirety to be His servant?^, in
the constant exercise of devout prayers and holy
thou^^hts, with other good deeds that they may
do bodUy and ghostly, and keep their will whole
to GoJ stodfastly, all such are God's special ser-
vants in holy Church. And for this good will
and good purpose that ihey have by the gift
of God, they shall increase in grace and in charity
here all their life long; and they shall have for
this special will a special reward in the bliss of
heaven above other chosen souls, who offered not
wholly their will and their body to God's service,
neither openly nor privately as they did- All
thi^e, whom I call Gods servants, and of His
coLjrt more specially, if they, through frailty and
ignorance, when they feel such stirrings of vain-
gl'>ry, for the lime delight therein, and perceive
not that they do so, for that their reason and
senses are letted through that hking which they
84
The Scale of Perfection
ttairs in Holy
t'Jiurck shall
havir divers
rt-a/ardi in
Ncaverw
Thffri he imo
•X'ltrds in
/feaven.
7%eSove-
reiga or
hsstniia!.
feel^ SO that iTiey cannot so wHI b^ those stir-
ring's, they sin not deadly in this liking- of vain-
glory. For that will that ihey have in general
set in their heart before, to ploase God, and to
forsake all manner of sin, if they knew it, keepeth
them here, that they sin not deadly in such stir-
rings, and in all other that come of frailty, and
will keep them still as long as the ground of that
■will is kept whole,
I say moreover for thy comfort, and for thft
comfort of all others who live in the state of
Anchoreh ericloseJ, and abo by God's grace,
for the comfort of all them that enter into any
religious order approved in holy Church, that
all those who through the mercy of God among
them shall be saved, shall have a special reward,
and a singular worship in the bliss of hf?avGn ;
for their state of living before other souls that
had not that stale in holy Church, though they
were never so holy ; which worship is better than
all the worship of this world without comparison \
for if thou couldsl see what it is, thou wouldst not
for the worship of this world, if thou mightest
have it without sin, change ihy slate either of
Anchoret or of religious, neither lose that singu-
lar reward in heaven, which reward is called the
Acctdeniai Reward.
Nevertheless, that other men may not mis-
take this that I say, therefore I shall say it more
plainly. Thou shalt iinder-stand that there be
tuo rewards in the bliss of heaven, which our
Lord giveth to chosen souls. The one is Sove-
reign and Prmctpki^ and is called the EssenHal
Reward^ and that is the knowing and loving of
God according lo the measure of charitj- given
by God to the soul while she lii'ed here in mortal
body. This reward is best and Sovcrtigti^ for it
The First Book
85
is God Himself, and is common to all the souls
that shall be saved, in what state or degree
soever thF?y live in holy Church, raore or less,
according to the quantity and the muchness of
(heir charity in this life, what degree soever they
live in. For he that loveth God by chanty most
shall have mo5t reward in the bliss of heaven ;
for he shall there love God and know Him most,
and that is the Stn'^eigy/, or Esseniinl reward, and
according to this reward it may and shall fall out^
that some manner of man or woman, as a lord,
or a lady, knipht or esquire, merchant or plough-
roan, or what degree he be, in roan or woman,
may and shall have more reward than some
priest or friar, monk or canon, or Anchoret en-
closed. And why so } Soothly, because he loved
God more in charity.
Another reward there is that is Seamdary, or
Acctdenta!^ which our Lord giveth for special good
dee<^s, which a man doth voluntarily, over that
he is bound to dOn Of these deeds three prin-
cipal ones the Doctors of holy Church do make
mention of, namely, Martyrdom, Priaching and
Virginity. * These works, inasmuch as they pass
all others in exceHency, shall have a special re-
ward, which is called an ^wAtf*?/'/, which isnout*:ht
else btit a singular worship and a special token
ordained by God for reward of that special deed
they did above othersi over and above that SiW€-
w£i^ or Essinfioi reward of the love of God,
which b common to him and lo all others. Right
50 Tl is of all other special good deeds, which, if
they be done sincerely, are specially acceptable
in the sight of God, and in ihe judgement of holy
Church are very excellent, as are the enclosing
of Anchorets^ done by the authority of holy
GT itecidfnitd.
86
The Scale of Perfection
Duf. hji.
Church, also entering into relig^ion approved,
and the stricter that the religion is, the more
excellent is the deed in the judgement of
holy Church,
Also after these^ and beneath these, arc the
taking of the order of Priest, either for cure of
men's souls, and to minister the Sacraments of
holy Church, or else for singular Devotion to
please God, and profit our neighbour, by the
s^Lcrifice of the precious body of our Lord Jesus
Christ. Soothly these are special deeds, and
declared to be excellent by the judgement of
holy Church, and. in the sight of our Lord.
Wlien they are done truly for God, they arc ex-
cellent, and shall have special reward, each man
in his degree, in the bliss of Heaven. The state
of Bishop and Prelate is above all these deeds,
as to the Accid^itai reward. That this is so,
appeareth out of holy Writ, where it saith thus
in the Prophet Daniel'. Bui go Ihou until tke fim^
prefixcii. and thoii shall re^t tirid siand tn thy lot
anlil thr\ end t>f Ihe days; w)iich is to say thus
much ; The Angel when he had showed DanUl
the secrets of God, he said to him thus : Go Ihtm
111 the rest of thy budily dfaik, and thou shalt stand
in thy lot at a prophet at the last day. And verily
a* Daniel shall stand as a pnjphrt at the last day
of doom, and have the worship and excellency of
a prophet above the Sovereign ble.ssed reward! of
Ihe love and sight of God, right so shalt thou
stand as an Anchoret in that lot, and a Religious
in the lot of the Religious, and so shall it be with
other excellent deeds, and have a sir^lar wur-
ship, passing olher men at the day of donm.
The First Book
87
i>
SECTION n
How Pride Itx Herelics and io HypocMtes is Jt idly Sin
An heretic sinneth deadly in pride, for Vie
chooseth his rest and deiii^ht in his own opinion,
and in his own sayings, for he imaginelh ihem 10
be true; which opinion or sayings are against
God and holy Church, and, therefore, he sinneth
mortally in pride, for he loveth himself and his
own will and wit so much, that though it be
plainly against the ordinance of holy Church, he
will not leave it, but resteth thereon, as upon the
truth, and so maketh he it his god; but he be-
guileih himself, for God and hoij' Church are so
uitiied and accorded together that whoso doth
ag-ainst the one doth against both. And, there-
fore, he that sailh he loveth God» and keepeth
His biddings, and despiseth holy Church, and
aettech at nought the laws and ordinances there-
of made by the head and supreme thereof ap-
pointed 10 govern all Christians, he lieth ; for he
chooseth not God, but chooseth ihe love of him-
self, conirarv to the love of God, and su sinneth
mortally. And wherein he imagineth most to
please God, he most displeaseih Him; for he is
blind, and will not see.
Of this blindness and this false resting of
ir heretic in his own feeling, speaketh the wise
man thus: JVi^re is a atn' //ritf sccmi'th rtghf h '^w- *!*■
a matt^and (hi hi%! end of it hrin^tih him torndless
death, lliis way specially is calltjd heresy: for
other fleshly sinners that sin mortally and lie
therein, commonly condemn themselves, and feel
hieing in conscience, because they go not the
right way ; bui an heretic supposeth that he doth
B8
The Scale of Perfection
7%p hyffocrife
ainneih ner-
well, and Ceacheth welU yea, and that no man
doth and teacheth so well as he, and so judgeth
his way to be right, and, therefore, feeleth he no
biting of conscience nor humility in heart. And,
soothly, if God of His g^reat mercy sendeth him
not humility el the last end, he goeth to hell.
And, nevertheless, yet weeneth he to have done
weLl and that he shall get the bliss of Heaven for
his teaching.
The hypocrite also sinneth deadly in pride*
He is an hypocrite that chooseth vain jov in him-
/fl//>m/ntfA ^^^^ ^^ ^^^ ^^^^ ^^^ ^^^ delight of his'heart in
this manner,
When H man doth many good deeds bodily
and ghostly, and then is put into his mind by the
suggestion of the enemy, the beholdinj^ of himself
and those good deeds, how good, how holy he is,
how worthy in men's deem, and how high in
God's sight, above other men, he perceiveth this
stirring, and receiveth it M^llingly, for he judgeth
it to be good, and from God, forasmuch as it is
true [for he doth these good deeds better thaa
other men). And when it is received thus by
consent of his will, there ariseth from it in hfs
heart so great a love and delight in himself, that
he hath so much grace^ that for tha time it
ravisheth his mind out of all other thoughtSj
both corporal and spiritual, and settelh it upon
vain joy in himself, as on a rest of his heart.
This ravishing in spiritual pride is delectable,
and, therefore, he keepeth it^ holdeth it, and
nourisheth it as much as he car. For this love
and delight he prayeth> watcheth, weareth hair-
cloth, and doth other afflictions, and all these
trouble him but little. He pretends to love God,
and thanketh Him sometimes with his mouth;
sometimes wriiigeth a tear out of his eye, and
The First Book
89
then he thinketh all safe enough* But soolhly,
all this 15 for love of himself which he chooseth,
and mistaketh for love and joy in God, and
therein lies all his sin. Not Ihat he willingly
chooseth sin, as it is sin, but chooseth this
delight and joy that he take'i for good, as the
rest and repose of his soul. Which, because he
doth without any striving against it, or dis-
pleasure at it in his will, th'Tt'fore is it sin; for
he judgeth ii to be a joy in God, and it is not so,
and, therefore, sinneth he mortally. Job saith
thus of an hypocrite : The joy of an hypocrite ts as t/ /<^ kiu
3ucr£ /or a mumcu/. If his hride rise up eueri to the
M^QVcfiSt and Itis head totun the clouds, at the last
end he shall he ca^i out as a dung-hdip. The joy
of an hypocrite is but a point, for if he worship
himself never so much, and joy in himself never
ao much, all his Ufeiime, and bepaint himself
with all his g-ood deeds, in the sight and prais-
inifs of the worid, at the last it will prove right
nought but sorrow and pain.
But thou wilt say: Sure there be few or none
such that are so blind as to hold and choose vain
joy in themselves for joy in God.
As to this I cannot answer, nor will, though
I could ; only I will tell thee this ore thing, that
there be many hypocrites, and, nevertheless, they
think themselves to be none, and that there be
many that dread and fear themselves to be hypo-
crites, and soothly are none ; who is the one, and
%vho is the other, God knows, and none but He.
IVhoso will humbly dread, shall not be beguiled,
and whoso thinketh himself secure, he may
lightly fall. For St Paul saith : Wfwso csteemetk Gfh vi.
htmsti/io ht: sotriething^'whertas indeed he is rwlhtng,
he begttilefh himsetf.
90
The Scale of Perfection
Htm a man
SECTION m
A short Kxhortalic^a to Humllily and Chapity, with
i CoDcIusion how a Man may know how mucb
Pr JiJe be bath in bim
Now by what hath been said^ thou mayest (if
thou wilt understand them] conceive comfort for
thy liegree of living'j and also matter of hamiliiy,
Por though it be true^ that (in case thou come to
Heaven) thou shall there receive so much reward
in special, for thy state of life; nevertheless it
may be that there is many a wife, and many
a woman, living at large in the world, that shaU
lie nearer God than thou, and shall love God
more, and know Him better than thou» for all thy
religious stale, and that ought to be a shame to
thee. Yet if thou labour to get love and charity
as fully and as perfectly as those that live in the
world (for thou mayest have it by the j^ft of God,
as much as they thai live in woddly business),
then Shalt thou have as much of the Si^ver^igH or
£ssfrfi/iti£ reward as they i and, moreoven shalt
also hai/e atiother singular and accidental reward
and worship, for thy state of Religion which the
others shall not have. If then thou wilt do well,
be humble, and forget thy state, as if it were
right nought ; for in sooLh it Js so, thai is, right
noupht in itself. And let thy desire and business
be to destroy sin, and to get charity, and hu-
mility, and other ghostly virtues, for therein
lieth all,
I have well-nigh forgotten that image T spake
of, but now I turn agaiti thereto. If thou wilt
know how much pride is therein, tli(>u mayest
try it thus; Look to it wisely, and flatter not
The First Book
91
thyself; if loving, prai^ing^ or worshipping-, or
human favours of worldly men or oihers, be
pleasing 10 tliy hearty and ihou turnest them into
vain gladness, and well paying of thyself, think-
ing setretly in thy heart, that men ought to
praise thy life, and reward thy speeches more
than other men^s ; and abo on the contrary, if
it be so, that when men reprove thee, and set
thee at nought, hold thee tbr a fool, or an hypo-
crite, or slander thee, or speak evil of thee falsely,
and in any other wa^ disease* thee unreasonably,
and for this thou feelest in thy heart a grievous
heaviness against them, and a great rising in thy
heart, with an unwillingness to suffer any shame
or disgrace in the sight of the world; if, T say^ it
be thus with thee, it is a token that there is
much pride in this dark Image, seem thou nt^vt^r
fiO holy in the sight of men. For though these
fitirringa be but little and venial, nevertheless
they show well that there is much pride hid in
the ground of thy heart, as the fox dareth in his
den. These stirrings, with many more, spring so
fast out of this image that thou scarcely canst do
«iny good deed but it will be mingled with some
pride or vain delight in thyself, and so with thy
pride thou defileth all thy good deeds, and
makest them loathesome in the sight of thy Lord.
1 say not that they are lost because they are
mingled with this pride. But I say thai thuse
good deeds are not so pleasant to thy Lord as
ihey would be if they were simple and truly
rooted in the virtue of humility. And, therefore,
if thou wilt have cleanness of heart, to come to the
love of God, it behoveth thee not only to fiy the
rest and repoive of thy heart in vain-glory, by
willingly consenting to pride, and abo the wretch-
92
The Scale of Perfcclion
less liking therein out of frailty against thy will,
but also the very feeling itself of pride, as well as
thou canst, which wiil not be done \inles5 thou bo
full quick and diligent about the keeping of ihy
heart, as I shall tell thee hereflfter.
JVib- brunches
of tnvy and
CHAPTER VI
SECTION 1
Of Envy and Wratli and their Brancltes, and fiow, in'
suad of Sin, ih? Person i% often haled
Turn this image upside down, and look well
thereir, and thou shak find two members or
limbs of envy and anger fastened thereto, with
several branches springing out of them, which
hinder the love and charity which thou oughlc5t
to have toward thy neighbour. The branches of
these two sins are these : Hatred, evil suspicion,
false and rash or unskilful judging, melancholy,
risings of heart against them, despising, unkind-
tiess, and back-biting* or other ill-speaking of
them, misliking, unskilful or causeless blaming
of them, misconstruing their words or deeds,
anguish and heaviness againf^t those that despise
uSj or speak any evil of us, or speak against us,
a joy or gladness at their pain, a selfnesa or
bitterness against sinful men and others that will
not do as we think they should do, with great
desire and eagerne.'is of heart (under colour of
charity and justice], that tht-y were well pun-
ished and chastised for their sin-
Such motions and stirrings as these seem
good; nevertheless, if thou ransack it well, thou
shalt find it more fleshly and sensual sometimes
against the person than spintual against the sin;
The First Book 93
Jor tbou ahouldst love the man, be he never so
sinful, and half ili^ sin in every m.in whatever
he be. Many are beguiled in this, for they set
the bitter instead of the sweet and take darkness
instead of light, contrary to the prophet, saying t
py^ iQyouwh<fCij/l cvii gt)odt anii g^t'Vfi tvii; puUiftg TsainsM*
darkness /or light, and tight for darkness ; fuUtfig
hitter for su>€£i^ and sweet for oil fcr. 'ihusdoall they
who, when ihey should hale the sin of their neigh-
bour and love his persori, hate tlio person instead
of the sin, and imagine that they hate the sin.
Wherefore it is a special craft and art by itself
whoso can do it well.
SECTION n
That tt ifl a Mastery md noble Skill lo 1ot« Men's
PeraonSi and yet wisely to bate their Sins, and how
It is no mastery to watch and fast till thy head
ache; nor to run to Rome or Jerusalem on pil-
gTimage upon thy bare feet; nor for to stir about
and preach, as if thou wouldst turn all men by
thy preaching. Nor is it any mastery to build
churches or chapels, or to feed poor men and
build hospitals. But it is a mastery for a man
to love his neighbour in charity, and wisely hate
his sin, and love the man. For though it be true
that all those deeds before said be good in them-
selves, yet are they common 10 good men and to
bad, for every man may do them if that he woukL
and have wherewith- And for thee to do that
which ever>' man may do^ 1 hold it no mastery;
but to love thy neighbour in charity and hate his
ffin can no man do, .^ave only good men, who
have it by the gift of God and not by their own
travail, as St Paul saith : Lime and chaniy w sktu jf^,„, ,.
94
The Scale of Perfection
w a 'fia'i
may Itorn
(his hard
abroad in your hairfs by the Holy Ghost, w/ijch t's
£tvff?t to yoH. And, therefore, it ia more precious
and more dainly to come by, AJl other good
deeds without this make not a man good nor
worthy of the bliss of heaven, but this alone, and
only this, maketh a man good and all his good
deeds to be medefuh AU other gifts of God and
works of man are common to good and bad, to
the chosen and the reprobate; but this gift of
charity is proper only to good and chosen souls.
And, therefore, for the learning of this hard
lesson, thou must understand and consider that
a good man for the love of God fasteth, waccheth,
goeth on pilgrimage and forsaketh all the plea-
sures of the world sincerely in his heart, without
feigning-, and he halh his reward in heaven ; and
an hypocrite doth Ihe same deeds out of vain-glory
and for love of himself, and receiveth his reward
here. Also, a true preacher of God's Word,
filled with charity and humility, sent of God and
recetv^ed and approved by the Church, if he preach
arid leach God's Word, shall have a special re-
ward of God ; that is the cunola for his preach-
ing. And an hypocrite or an heretic that hath no
humility or charity^ nor is sent of God nor yet of
holy Church, if they preach, they have their re-
ward here. Also a good man living in the world
for the love of God buildeth many churches,
chapels, abbej's, hospitals and doth other many
good deeds of mercy, and he shall have his re-
ward in the bliss of heaven, not for the deed in
itself^ but for the good will and the charity thi*t
he hath in him by the gift of God for to do these
j^Qod deeds- Another maci out of vanity of him-
self and worship and pleasing of the world and
for his own name doth the same good deeds, and
hath his reward here. The cause in all these is
First Book
95
that the one hath charity and the other none;
but which is the one and which Is the other, our
Lord krowech, antl none but He.
From this, therefore, we are to leam these two
le&soas. First, that we should love and worship
all men m our hearts, and approve and think well
of and receive all thtir deed^s that have thf^ like-
ness of goodness, though the doers be bad in the
sight of God, except they be the deeds of known
and open heretics, or of open cursed (or excom-
municated) men ; for of these two we are specially
lo Hy and eschew their company and coming
amongst them. And we are also to reprove and
refuse their deeds, seem they never so good,
as long as they are rebels to God and holy
Church. And if a worldly, cursed [or excom-
municated] man build a church, or feed poor
men, thou mayest safely hold and judg'e such
his doings to be nought, and deem them as they
ire. Also if an open heretic, who is a rebel to
holy Church, preach and teach, though he con-
TCTt a hundred chousand soulSj thou mayest hold
the deed, as lo himself, right nought ; for these
men are openly out of charity, without which all
is nought that a man doth.
Secondly* that it is a great mastery for a man
Ip know how and to be able to love his neighbour
in charity; all which may be plainly proved by
Si Piiul'n words, ihus^ If 1 spiak tctih the ianpies
of wt^n and angcis^ if J havs not chanty^ I a?n ri^hi
K-mghi ; arrd if I hove so gr tat faith tttat I can in/er'
turn ^i//s and btar (fjem away^ and have not charity^
I Am rt'ghi twiight. And aiso^ though I hoti ail
mojtner of knmiiti-dgr. of ail mysteries, mid if I give
all thai I have to the potn-^ and my body to be burnt,
aad JIuTiTt >io( charity^ tt profil^tk t/« tight nought.
Heapfi it seemeth by St Paul's words that a
W'e ate fit
think -men
0/ all iiifu.
tfidy hi'C his
neighbour hni
he Ihat htrth
chart fy.
I O/', xiiL
96
The Scale of Perfection
ihit\g to k'ti>V)
iBhiihtr wf
have iharitji.
JVont Jitith
cJ^it'itj/ but
ht fhat is
Eom. Vkii.
man may do all good deeds bodily without
charily, and that charity is nought else but tn
love God and his neighbour as himself. Hnw
should, then, any wretched caitiff upon earth,
whatever he be, have any delight or trust or
security in himself for anything he doth or is
able to do with all his bodily powers or natural
wit, sith all this is nought worth without love
and charily to his neighbour } And this charity
cannot be gotten by his own working, for it is
the free gift of God, sent only into an humble
soul, as Si Paul saith. Who then dare be so
bold as to say : / have Chrisf, or / am charity *
Verily no man can say it securely,* or of a
certainty, but he chat is perfectly and truly
humble \ other men may trow of themselves, and
hope that they be in charity by tokens \ but he
that ia perfectly humble feeleth it, and therefore
may say it securely. Thus humble was St Paul^
and therefore said he thus of himself : Who shall
separate us from the im?e of Christy Shall tribula-
iiirn, or anguish, ordisircss, etc. ? And he answereth
himself, and saith : I am persuaded thai no crea-
ti4r£ shall be ahic tu separate mc from tlte charily of
God tn Christ Jtsits, Many men do deeds of
charity, and have no charity, as I have said. To
reprove a sinner for his sin to his atnendment, in
a convenient time, is a deed of charity ; but to
hat© the sinner instead of the sin, is against
charity. He that is verily humble can part the
one from the other, and none but he. For though
a man had all moral virtues of all the philoso-
phers, he could not do this ; he could be able to
hate sin in other men (for he hateth it in himself),
but he could not be able to love the man in
charity, with all his philosophy. Also, if a man
* £ickcrLy,
The First Book
97
had the knowledge of all books and divmitv, and
be not withal truly humble, he shall lightly stum-
ble and err in this point, and take the one for the Chmity %&
other. But humility is worthy to receive a gift g°it^o"^y
from God, which cannot be gotten or learned by ■^*''"' '-'"■
cunning of man, and therefore he that is humble
can hate the sin and truly love the man,
Bui now peradventure ihou bcginnest to be
afraid for ihac which I have said, that charity
cannot be 6t>tten by any work that thou canst
do; how shall thou then do?
To this I answer, that there is nothing so hard
to get AS chanty; this is truth, as to the getting
of it by our own travail and labour. And, on the
contrary, I say that there is no gift of God that
may so lightly or easily be had as charity, for
our Lord giveth no gift so freely, nor so gladly,
nor so commonly, as He doth it- How shalt
thou, then» have it, sayest thou? Be meek and
lowly in spirit and thou shalt have it; and what
is lighter to be done than to be humble? Sooth-
ingly nothing- Then it followeth that there is
nothing so lightly to be had as charity, and,
therefore, ihou need not be much afraid j be
humble, and have il» Thus saith St James : Ottr
Lord rcsntetk (ht proud, hit gi'veih grace to ilte
humbk. Which grace is properly charity ; for
according to the measure of thy humility, so
shalt thou have charity. If thou have humility
imperfectly only in will> not in affection, then
hasi thou imperfect charity, which indeed is good,
for it sufficelh for salvation, as ZJtff'fi/sailhr Lord, p^alm
^t(h Ike eyes nf mercy tfwti seesl my imperUctmt. cxxxviil. ifi.
But if thou have humility perfectly, then shalt
thou have perfrci charity> and this is best. The
other we must necessarily have if we will he miofjimty
saved. This we should ever desire and labour kumh/t.
98
The Scale of Perfection
for. If thou ask me now who is perfectly humble,
I shall tell thee no more concerning humility at
this time but this : He is humbU ihut truly kno^eth
kifttsel/as hd is.
SECTION m
How a Man sh^ll know how much IPraih ind Envy
is hid in the ground of his Heart, and how he
may know whether he loves his Enemies, and the
Ejcamfles we h^ve thereof in our SavJom?
Now turn we ag-ain to this image. If thou wilt,
try how much anger and env^ is hid iu thy heart,
which thou feelest and perceivest not. Look well
and behold thyself wisely when such stirrings of
anger and envy against thy neighbour spring out
of thy heart. The more that thou art stirred by
melancholy or wicked will against him, the more
is this image in thee. For the more thou grudg-
est by impatience, either against God for any
tribulation or sickness, or other bodily disease
sent by Him, or against thy neighbour, for aught
that he doth against ihee, the less is the image
of Jesus reformed in thesn I say not that such
gnidgings or fleshly angriness are deadly sins ^
but 1 say that they hinder the cleanness of heart
and peace of conscience, that thou canst not have
perfpct charity, by the which thou shouldst come
to life Ct/ftUmplative. For that end is the purpose
of all my sayinj^, that thou shouldst not only
cleanse thy heart from deadly sins, but also from
venial as much aa thou canst : and that the
ground of sin might by grace of Jesus Christ be
somewhat shaked in thee.
For though it be so that thou feelest no evil
against thy neighbour for a time, yet art thou not
The First Book
99
secure that the ground of anger is quenched in
thee; neither yet art thou lord and master of
the virtue of charily. For let him bui touch ihee
a little angrily, or by a shrewd word, and thou
shall ace presently whether thy heart be yet made
whole by perfect charity. The more thou art
stirred and evii-willed against his person, the
further art thou from ch^irity. AnJ if ihou be
nothing stirred against his person, neitoet by
any angry carriage or gesture outwardly, nor by
any priiy hate in thy heart, either to despise or
judge him, or undervalue, or set him at nought;
but ihe more shame or villainj' he doth lo thee by
word or deed, the more pity and compassion thou
ho^t of him> ^s thou would^t have of a man that
were out of his wits, and thinkest that Ihou canst
not find in thy heart to hate him (because love is
so good in itself) but pray for him and help him
and desire his amendment, not only with thy
mouth, as hypocrites can do, but with iiffection of
lo\'e in thy hearty then hast thou perfect charity
to thy neigh boun
This charity had Sf Stephc}} perfectly when he ^" ^'^■' "^'
prayed for them that stoned him to death. This '"^'"'^*''
charily coutiselled Christ to those that would be
His perfect followers when He said thus : Love s^ Matt. v.
your erumiest do guod to th€m that hak you, pray for
th^m thai persecute you. And, therefore, if thou
wilt be one of Christ's followers, be like Him
in ibis craft. Learn to love thine enemies and
sinful men, for all these are thy neifirhhours.
Look and bethink thee how Clirist loved Judas,
who was both His deadly enemy and a sinful
caitiff; how goodly Christ was to him, how
benign, how courteous, and how lowly to him
whom He knew to be damnable. And never-
theless He chose him to he His apostle^ and sent
A^ft /he tx~
itm/-ie 11/ our
lOO
The Scale of Perfection
IiSm to preach with His other apostles. He gave
him power to work miracles; He showed the
same good cheer to him in worti and deed as He
did lo other apostles. He washed his feet^ and
fed him with His precious Blood, and preached
to him as He did to His other apostle^a. He
bewrayed him not openly (for He did it privily] ;
He miscalled him not, despised him not, never
spake evil of him; notwithstanding if He had
done all these things. He had said nothing but
truth. Moreover, wlien yttdas took Him, He
kissed him, and called him Hia friend* All this
charily showed Christ unto |?tt£faj, whom He knew
to be damnable ; and this He did in no way of
counterfeiting or Mattering, but in reality and
truth of good love and clean charity. For though
it was true that Judas was rot worthy to have
any gift from God, or any sign of love for his
wickedness i nevertheless, it was worthy and
seemly that our Ijjrd should show Himself to
be that which He is, and that is love and good-
ness to all His creatures, as He was to Jitdas.
I say not that He loved him for his sin, nor
that He loved him as one of His chosen, as He
did Si P^/er ; but He loved him inasmuch as
he was His creature, and showed him tokens of
love, if he would have been mended thereby.
Follovv thou His example somewhat as much as
thou canst ; for though thou art shut up in a
house as to thy body, nevertheless in thy heart
[where the seal of love ia) thou mayest have part
in such love co thy neighbour, as I have spoken of.
Whoso thinkest himself to be in his life a
perfect lover and follower of Christ's teaching
(as some men perhaps esteem themselves to be,
because they preach and teach, and are poor in
worldly goods, as Christ was) and cannot follow
Th« First Book
toi
Christ in this love and charity, lo love iheir
neighboxirs, even every man, both good and bad.,
Inend and foe, without feigning or flattery, or
despising him in his heart, without angnness
or maJicious reproving, soolhly he beguileth
himself. The nearer he ihinkeih himielf to be
to Christ's example, the further is he off; for
Christ said to them that would be His disciples,
thus r Jhis is My ^tddirig^ (hat you should iove tme si M* xiii,
artofher as I have loved you. For if ye love as
1 have loved, then are ys My disciples.
But now thou wilt say \ How shall ! lave htm ■^™* " '"""
ihU is had as -mell ttnd as truly as kirn thai is good f ff^^^J''^'^'
To this 1 say thus r That thou shalt love both *,?;;ni 'tha
good and bad in charity, but not for the same g^/od,
cause as I shall tell how. Thi^ shalt hve thy
fuighbour as thyself. Now, Chou shalt love thy-
self only in God, or vXsc for God. hi God thou
lovest thyself, when thou art righteous and
virtuous through grace, and lovest rtoi thyself
but only for that righteousness and virtues that
God giveth thee, then lovest thou thyself in Gtjd^
for chou lovest not thyself, but God. Also, thou
lovest thyself /ur God, when being in deadly sin
thou desiresi to be made righteous and virtuous^
for then thou lovest not thyself as thou art (for
thou art unrighteous), but as thou wouldst be.
Right so shalt ihou love thy neighbour. If he
be good and righteous, thou shale love him by
charity in God only ; in that he is good and
righteous ; for then lovest thou God (who is
goodness and righteousness) in him, and so
thou lovest him more than if he were bad or
in deadly sin. As. for example, ihy enemies
who hate thee^ or any other of whom thou hast
full evidence they are not in grace i yet notwith-
standing shalt thou love them, not as they are.
102
The Scale of Per'eztion
nor as g-ood and righteous men (for they are bad
and unrig-hteoua], but thou shalt love them for
God, that Ihey may be gocU a.nd righteous. And
so shalt thou hale nothing in them, but tiiat
thing- which is contrary to rig-hteousness, and
that is sin. This is as I understand the doc-
trine of Si Au£jjs/y»t; fcr to di^ting-uish the love
of the man from the haired of his sir, and the
love of thy neighbour. He that is humble, or
desires truly to be humble, can thus love his
neighbour, and none but he.
CHAPTER VU
Of Co^efousncss, and how a l^aa may know how
mucli of it is hid in his Heart
Heave up th[s image^ and look well about it,
and into it^ and then shalt thou see covetousness
and love of earthly things possess a great part
of this image, though it seem little of it. Thou
hast forsaken riches and the havings much of this
world, and art shut up in a cell, but hast thou
cleanly forsaken the love of all this ? 1 fear not
yet, for it is less mastery to forsake worldly
gxiods than to forsake the love of them. Per-
adventure thou hast not forsaken thy covetous-
nesSr but only hast changed it from great things
unto small ; from a pound unto a penny, and
from a silver dish unto a dish of a halfpenny.
This 13 but a simple change ; thou art no fjood
merchant. These examp]es are childish ; never-
theless they signify much more. If thou believe
not what I say, put thyself upon the trial. If
thou have love and delight in the having and
holding of anything that thou hast, how mean
tioever it may be^ with the which love thou
The First Book
103
feedest thy heart for a time, or if thou have
a desire and yearning for to have something
thit thou hast noU with the which desire thy
heart is disquieted and stumbled through un-
reasonable thinkingf of ihe thing-, that the pure
de^tre of virtue and of God cannot rest therein ;
this is a sign that there is covetousness in this
image. And if thou wilt pul thyself further to
the trial, look if anything that thou haat be
taken away from thee by violence, or by borrow-
ing, or any other way, so thai thou canst not
gtt it again, and for this thou art disquieted,
angered, and troubled in thine heart, both for
the loss of that thing; which thou woutdst have
again, and canst not; and also art stirred
against bim that hath it, to strive and chide
with him that may restore it, and will not, this
is a token that thou lovest worldly goods. For
thus do worldly men when their goods and riches
are taken from them ; they are heavy, sorry and
angry, chiding- and striving with them that have
them, openly, both by word and deed. But thou
dost all this in thy heart privily, where God
secth, and therein thou art in more default than
a woridly man; for thou hast forsaken in appear-
ance the love of worldly things, but a worldly
man hath not so, and therefore he is excused,
though he strive and pursue for his goods by
lawful means, for to have them again,
But now sayest thou, that it behoveth thee
to have thy necessaries of such things as belong
iinto thee, as well as a worldly man. I grant
well thereto; but thou shouldst not love it for
Itself, nor have liking in the holding nor in the
keeping, nor feel sorrow and heaviness in the
losing, or in the withdrawing of it. For as >SV
Gti^y saith : Ai m\tch ^orrum as tkoti htjsi in
104
The Scale of Pericction
lo.'iing of a things so much hmt hasi thau m th€
keeping of iL And therefore if so be thy heart
mdde whole, and thou hadst truly felt a desire
of spiritual things, and therewith hadst a true
sight of the least spiritual thing that is, thou
wouldst set at nought all the love and liking
of any earthly thing:, it would not cleave to thee.
For lo love a.nd have more than thou reason-
ably needest, only for lust and liking, is a great
fault. Alao» to fix thy love upon the thing
which thou needest, for the thing itself, is a fault
also, but not so great. But to have and use that
thing that thou needest without love of it, more
than nature and ne^d requireth, without which
the thing cannot be used, is no fault.
Soothly in this point I fear that many who
have taken upon them the state and likeness of
poverty are much letied and hindered in their
pursuit of the love of God ; I accuse no man, nor
reprove any state, for in each state there be some
good, and iOme otherwise ; but one thing I say
lo every man or woman that hath taken the ^tate
of volLiniary poverty, whether he be religious or
secular^ or what degree he be in, as long as his
love and his affeciion is bounden and fastened,
and as it were glued with the love of any earthly
thing, which He hath, or would havL, he cannot
have nor feel soothfastly the clean love, and the
clear sight of spiritual things. For Si Ausf/'n
j^aid to our Lord thus: LtfrSj he lir.'tih Thcr hut
littk^t thui Uivcth anything Tttilh T/i£i\ which he
ioveth no£ for Thc€. For the more love and
covetoiLsness of any earthly thing is with thee,
the less is the love of God in thy heart. For
though it be so, that this love of earthly things
putteth them not out of charity; but if it be so
much that it strangle th the loveof Goil and of their
The First Book
"05
neighbour, verily» it hindereth and lelteth them
from the fervour of charity, and also from that
special reward which they should have in the
bliss of heaven for perfect poverty, and that is
3 great loss if thou couldst see it. For who so
could underitand the spiritual reward, how good,
how precious and how worthy it is (for it is ever-
lasting), he would not for the love of all earthly
Joy, or having all earthly things fihough he
might have them without sin) hinder, no, nor
lessen the least reward of the bliss of heaven,
which he might have if that he would ; but God
knows I speak more than I do myself But I
pray thee do thus as I say, by the grace of God,
if ihou canst, or any other man that will, for it
would he a comfort to my heart (chough I have it
not in myself that which I say) that 1 might have
it in thee, or in any other creature, which hath
received more plenty of His grace than I.
But see, now then, since covetousness, in the
naked ground of it, letteth a man oi woman so
much from the spiritual feeling of the love of
God, how much more, then, doth it let and
cumber worldly men and women, who by all
their wits and bodily business night and day,
study and travail how they may get riches and
plenty of worldly goods } They can have no
other delight but in worldly things ; nay^ they
will not, for they seek it not, I say no more
of them at this time ; for in this writing 1 spake
not to them. But this I say, that if they would
see, or could see what they do, they would not
do so.
io6
The Scale of Perfection
CHAPTER Vm
SECTION I
Of GlutLony, and bow a Man shall know wh^n he
sinn^th not in Eaiing and Dfinking, and when he
sinneih venUUy, and when deadly
Sttll mayest thou see more in this image^
though it be dark, namely, sensual love to thyself,
in gluttony, sloth and lecheiy- These fleshly
likings make a man full bea'^tly, and far from
the inward savour of the iove of God and from
the clear sight of spiritual ihings. But Ihou wilt
say that thou must needs eat and drink and
sleep, which thou caast not do without liking-*
therefore thou thinkest this liking is no sin.
A3 unto this I say : That if in eating, drink-
ing and other takings of necessaries for thy
body, thou obsen'o and keep measure ; which
is that thou do but what is needful for nature,
and thou receivest or admit test no further
pleasure or delight in the takingf, than the
nature of the thing doth reeds bring wkh it ^
and all this thou dost not ctf purpose to please
thy sensuality, but for ghostly delight which
thou feelest in thy soulj and the upholding of
thy body in the service of God, I grant that
for a truth thou then sinnest right nought
therein, but mayest well eat and sleep in that
manner as thnu hast menTioned.
t^oothly and witiiout doubt I am full far
from knowing how to do better in this point,
and further from doing of it; for to eat I have
by kind or nature, but to skill how to eat, 1 can-
not but by the grace of God. Sf Paul had this
cunning by the grace of God, as he saith himself
The First Book
107
thus : / am cunning irt a// tkm^s, through Htm
thai sircngihenfih me ; p}T I can hnirgir, and I can
^^/, I £on '.vith pUtify, and I can wtth fct'crty, I can
do ail things. S( Auitin saith thus lo our Lord :
Lotd^ thou hast taught w/ that T shonid taki meat
as ii medicine: hunger is a sickness 0/ my nuture,
mid meat is a Trtedicine Iherfa/. Therefore the
liking' and delig-ht that comcth therettith, and
accompanieth eating'^ inasmuch as it is naiurdl,
and followeth of necessity, it is no sin j but when
it passeih into lust, and into a voluntary and
sought or iniended pleasure, then it is sin.
Therefore here Heth all the mastery and skill
to be able to di'^linguish wisely need from lust
and voluntary liking', being so knit together that
the one Cometh with the other. So that it is
hard to take the one [which is the meat or drink)
as need requireth, and to reject or not to admit
the other, namely, the voluntary and willingly ad-
mitti^d lust and likings which often Cometh under
llie colour of need.
Nevertheless, sith it is so, that need is the
ground of this, and that need 15 no sin -, for be a
man never so holy, H behoveth him to eat, and
drink and sleep; therefore the lust and liking
that Cometh under the colour of this need, and
often exceedeth this need, is the less sirtn For it
is true that he who choo*etli lust and the liking
of his flesh, and delight in welfare of meat or
drink, as the full rest of his heart that he would
never have any other life nor other bliss, but live
ever in such lust of his tleshi if he might, it is no
doubt but he sinnetli deadly; for he loveth his
flesh more than God. But he that lieth in deadly
sin of pride or en^y, or such other, he is .so
blinded by the devil, that for the time he hath no
ittg it : and f'rrha''t foty at it r/ij'n^ /Auf mtikfs !^r nictt more
A fii\ni fh'tiff
the fi/easure
j'h fit/in^
from ttffnt'
A man may
iaiv/uiiy ad'
nut the pU'w
sws feU j'n
ih* taking of
t'lful. so he
takr it nttf
/or (he pK'a^
jnrr's ja*f,
for mctAg tH^
pli'ossrt til ht
the end or
canst 0/ the
faking of it ;
but necessity
tft hf Ihg
ftiusF^ and
the pleas un
c-i a thing-
neci^Tsarily
tiecompnny-
gratf/ut ta
loB
The Scale of Perfection
A grneml
wiii and fur-
pose ft) hue
OHtis^r^fe Cod
k,v/-s us/nttn
rhn ^iir of
nvorttU sin i«
thesf/atlin^s.
power of his free will, and therefore he cannot
well withstand fleshly likings when they come,
but falleth down willingly to them, aa a beast
doth to carrion ; and ina^smuch aa he hath no
general will before to God principally, because
that he 13 in deadly sin, therefore the lust of
gluttony into which he falleih easily, is to him
deadly sin, for he maketh no resistance either
general or special. But another man or woman,
who being' in grace orcharity,hath alway a g"ood
general will to God in his soul, whether he sleep
or wake, eat or drink, or whatsoever good deed
he doth» so that it be not evil in itself; by the
which will end desire he chooseth God above all
things, and had rather forbear all things in the
world, than anger his God for lov^e of Ilim, This
will, though it be but general, is of so great
virtue through the grace of our Lord Jesus, that
if he fall by frailty in lust and in liking of meat
and of drink, or of such other infirmity, either by
exercise, in eating too much, or too often, or too
greedily, or too lusty and delicately, or loo often
before the set times of eating, it saveth and
keepelh him from deadly sin. And ihis is truth,
as long as he ia in charity in his other works,
and keepeth his general will in all that he doth ;
and especially if anon &fter such his miscarriage
he acknowledge his own wretchedness and cf}"-
for mercy, and be in purpose specially to with-
stand such fleshly lusts for the time to come-
For our Lord is good and merciful^ and forgivelh
right soon these venial sins and miscarriages, or
excesses about meat and drink (by reason that
the occasions of them are hardest to eschew, be-
cause of the necessity there is of seeking and
taking of them for the upholding of our corporal
lives and healths) unto an humble soul.
cannot ix
tffkrn Qway^
And these rtirrlnga and likings of gluttonv, Thfgrowfd
among all other sins, are most excusable and ^fg^^"™y
least perilous. And therefore thou shalt not rise
against the ground of this sin as thou shait
ag-ftinat the ground of all other sin, for the ground
of this fiin is only natural need and necessity,
the which thou canst not eschew, unless thou
shouldstdoworse, namely, slay this need (as many
unwise persons do, by destroying their bodies
or healths), whereas they should only slay the
!hif/ and spar© the true mfln. That is to sayj
slay unreasonable lust and sensual voluntary
liking, and spare and keep natural liking and
corporal ability, and they do not so» But against
0.11 other sins thou shalt arise to destroy^ not
only deadly sins and the greater venials, but also
against the ground of them by suppressing the
stirrings and motions of them, and also avoiding
the occasions and motives and incentives to them
as much as thou canst ; but this thou canst not
do here with all thy skill, for thou canst not live
without meat and drink, but thou mayest live
without lechery or carnal pleasure if thou wilt,
and never better than when without it. And
therefore thou shall not fly only the deeds of it
(namely, the doing of any external thing against
chastity) but also thou shalt suppress and destroy
within thee all mere inward and mental desires
against the virtue of chastity [the which mental
desires or thoughts are sometimes only venial
sins, and sometimes mortal] ; but also thou shalt
labour against tlie ground of the said sin, and
aeek to destroy the feeling and the rising of
fleshly stirrings.
But this travail and labour against the ground ^^ dtstrovtJ
of lechery mtj^t be spiritual, by prayers and ^^i^^^J^Tw^
spiritual virtues, and not hy bodily penance atatrp^t^aL
Tkf ground
of sins n'HSf
ilO
The Scale of Perfection
only; for wot thou well, that if thou fast and
watch and scourg^e thyself, and da all that tliou
canst, thou shalt never have cleafiue&s and
chastity without the gift of God, and without
the grace or virtue of humility. Thou shalt
sooner kill thyself, than kill fleshly stirrings and
feelings of lust and lechery, either In thy heart
or in thy flesh, by any bodily penances ; but by
the grace of Jesus, in an humble soul, the ground
may be much stopped and destroyed, and the
spring may be much dried, the which will cause
true chastity in body and in soul.
The same may be said of pride and of cove*
tousness, and of such other* for thou mayest live
though thou wert not proud at alh nor covetous,
nor liixuriousj and therefore thou shalt labour
to destroy the very feelings of them as much as
thou canst, and 30 seek to cleanse and take away
the very ground of those sins. But in gluttony
it is otherwise, because the ground thereof, which
is natural appetite and need, must remain as Ions'
as thou livest, therefore must thou only arise and
fight against the unreasonable desires of thy natu-
ral appetite therein, the which do creep in under
pretence, and by occasion of the said just and
reasonable need; smite these unreasonable stir-
rings, and keep the ground whole,
SECTION n
Thai A Man should be busy to put away and hinder
all Motions of Sm, but moro busy about those of
Spiritual Sins than those oi Bodily
And therefore he that riseth again.'^t the feeling
of fleshly liking in meat and drink, more fally
and more sharply than against those of pride, or
The First Book
tit
covetous n ess, or lechery, or envy (the which
because thty be more spirituaJ and less perceiv-
able, ieem perhaps less evil, anc] are less re-
prehended). I say that he is half-blind, for he
seeth not his spiritual unclean n esses [a.s of pride
and en\y), how foul they are in God's sights for,
I believe that if a man could see with his spiritual
eye howfcul pride and covetousness are in God's
sight, and how contrary they are to Him, he would
more loathe a stirring of pride, and the vftin ILlcing
of it: ^Tid also he would more abhor and rise
against that evil will of envy, or anger to his
neighbour ihar many a stirring or liking either
of gluttony or of lechery. Nevertheless, all men
do not think so, for commonly men are more shy
or troubled to feel a stirring of fieshly sin, and
have for it more sorrow and heaviness than for
great likings in vain-glory or in other ghostly
sins. But they are not wise ; for if they would
understand the holy Scriptures and sayings of
doctors they should find it as I say, which I
neither may nor will rehearse now.
1 will not excuse them that fall in the likings
and delights of gluttony and lechery, as if they
sinned rot ; for I wot well that all the kinds of
them are sins more or less, according to the
measure of the lust and misbehaviour in the sin,
and Other likings, with consideration of how far
voluntary it was with other circumstances. But
my desire is, that thou mightest know and es-
teem all sins according as they are, indeed, the
greater to be the greater, as are spiritual sins ;
and the less to be the less, as are fleshly or sen-
sual sins: and yet nevertheless would I have
thee to hate and By ail, both bodily and
spiritual, with all thy might. For know thou
well, that fleshly desires and unreasonable
112
The Scale of Perfection
liking's in meat and drL:ik, or any 1iking!> th^t
belong to the body, exceeding reasonable needs,
though they be not always great sins to him
that is in chanty. Nevertheless, to a soul that
desireth cleanness and purity of heart, and a
spiritual feeling of God, they are full heavy,
painful and bitter, and greatlv to be eschewed;
for the spirit cannot feel his kindly savour
within, till the flesh hath Lost Iiis beastly
savour without.
And, therefore, if thou wilt come to clean-
ness of heart, thou must strive against the un-
reasonable stirrings of fleshly desires ; but
against the i^ound of them thou shalt not
rise ; for the ground of it is Netd, as natural
hunger, which thou must necessarily feel, and
must attend theretOf and satisfy it in fitting time
and manner, and help thyself against it by
medicine of meat, as thou wouldst help thyself
in a reasonable manner against a bodily sick-
ness, that thou mayest more freely serve God
both bodily and spiritually. For know thou
well, that what man or woman that shall be
occupied spiritually in thoughts, great pain or
hunger wilfully undertaken or bodily sickness
or pain in the stomach, or in the head, or in
other parts of the body for want of good ruling
of themselves in too much fasting, or in any
other way, will much let the spirit, and much
hinder him from the knowing and beholding of
spiritual things, unless he have much grace, and
be arrived to great abilities in the Contemplative
life. For though it be true, that bodily pain
either of penance, or of sickness, or of bodily
occupation, sometime letteth not the fervour of
love to God in devotion^ but oft increaseth it,
yet I believe that they let the fervour of love in
The First Book
"3
Coni^mpliition, the which may not be had nor felt
fully, but in rest and freedom of body and soul
irora all the aforesaid corporal pains, wantSj em-
ployments and solicitudes.
SECTION 01
VtiAl RemeJ? a Man should usf dg^inst the Faults
in EiEing and Drinking
Therefore, thou shah behave thyself discreetly
about thy body, yielding it necessaries reason*
ablVi and then let God send thee what Re
pleasethr either health or sickness ; take it
gladly, and grudi^e not willingly against Him,
Do as I say> take thy meal as it cometh,
or provide it according to reason, and take it
gladly, as a thing that thou needest ; but be
well aware of lusts that cometh with need, es-
chew too much as well as too little. And having
done, if after it there arise in thee a remorse or
biting of conscience, that thou hast eaten too
much, and thereupon thou becomest sad and
heavy with overmuch bitterness against thyself,
lift up the desire of thy heart to thy good Lord
Jesus, and acknowledge thyself a wretch, and
A beast, and ask Him forgiveness, and say that
thou wilt amend it, and pray that he will forgive
thee. Leave off then, and think no further of
it, nor strive so much with the vice, as if thou
wouldat destroy it uiierly, for it is not worth
the doing so, neither ^hall thou be ever able
to bring it about that way ; but set thyself about
some other business bodily or j*hostly, according
as thou iinde?.t thyself best disposed, that there-
by thou mayest profit more in other virtues, as
in humility and charity. For wot thou well, that
a
1J4
The Scale of Perfection
Huntiiity
and thittiiy
ftmtdtfi.
Si Lult %.v\.
he t"hat hath in his desire and in his endeavours
no other respect to no other thing but Humility
and Charity, always crying after them, how he
may have them, he shall through such desire
and manner of working profit and increase, not
only in those two virtues, but also in all other
virtues together with them, as in chastity, absti-
n*^nce and such other (^though he have but a little
regard to them in comparison of the other, name-
ly, Humility and Charity) more in one year than
he should, without the said desire and manner of
working-, profit in seven years, though he strive
against gluttony, lechery and such other con-
tinually, and beat himself with scourges each
day from morning to even-song time.
Set thyself, therefore, about Hufnility and
Charity, and u.^ing all thy diligence and industry
to come by them, yet shah thou have enough
to do in getting of ihcniH And if thou canst get
them, they will direct tliee, and measure thee
priWly and secretly, how thou shalt eat> and how
thou shah drink, and succour all tliy bodily
needs, that there shall no man know of it, unless
thou thyself do tell it bim, and that thou shalt
not be in perplesity, scruples, vexation, anguish-
raent, or heaviness, nor with any lust or adhering
lo the delights and likings of sensuality, but
shalt do all in peace of a glad conscience with
all quietness and satisfaction- I have spoken
more than I thought to have done in this matter,
but ncverlhclesa do fas far as thou canst) as I say,
and I hope God shall make all weih
By this that I have said, thou mayest in some
measure see into this image of sin, and perceive
how much it hinders thee. The Gospel saith,
ho\v that Ahr^tham spake to the rich man that
was buried in hell, on this wise: There ts be-
The First Book
its
iwixi us and yt/u ir great chaos; that is to say,
a thick darkness betwixt thee and us, that we
cannot come lo thee, nor thou to us. This dark
image in thy soul and mine may be in lilce
manner called a chaos, that is, a great darkness,
for it letteth us that we cannot come to Abrahtimf
which is Jesus, and it letteth Him, that He will
not come to us.
CHAPTER IX
Of tlie Fit* Windows of ehia dark Image, and what
Cometh in by th^m, and bow they ore to be ordered
Lift up thy lanthom, and thou shalt see in this r^r^-w ii
image five windows, by which sin cometh into
thy soul J as the Prophet saithr Dmtk comeih in
by cur windf^ps. These are the five senses by
which thy soul goelh out of herself, and fetch-
eth her delight, and sceketh her feeding in
earthly things, contrary to the nobility of her own
nature. As by the eye to see curious and fair
things, and so of the other senses. By the unslcil-
fiil using of these senses willingly to vanities, thy
soul is much letted from the i.weetness of the
spiritual senses within ; and therefore it be-
hoveth thee to stop these windows* and shut
them, but only when need requireth to open
ihem.
And this would be little mastery or difficulty xht ufnicr-
for thee lo do, if thou didst once see thy own soul standing of
by clear understanding what it is, and how fair it '^r/^l'^^u&
is in its own nature, and so ia still, were it not so makrusfor-
overlaid with a black t^antle of this foul image, iB*r/<jA{f
But because thou knowest it not, therefore leavest ' "^'
thou the inward sight of thyself, and seekest thy
food without, abroad, like a brute beast> Thus
ii6
The Scale of Perlcction
saith oiar Lord in a threatening way to a chosen
Ca»fif. u soul in holy Writ : Thou fairest am<mg n'omfn, if
ihmi knawf-sl fwi thyself^ go oui, and ^malk after the
siefs of ifte flock of (ny felli/wst and feed thy ktds.
And It ia aa much as to say : Thou aoul, fair by
nature, made after the likeness of God, frail in
thy body as a woraao, by reason of the first
sin, that thou knowest not thyself, nor how that
angeis' food should be thy delights within, there-
fore goest thou out by thy bodily senses, and
seekest thy meat and thy liking as a beast of
the Bock, that is as* one outcast and rejected,
and therewith thou feedest thy thoughts and
thine affections, which are unclean as gloats. It
15 a shame for thee to do so.
And, therefore, turn home again into thyself,
and hold thee within, and beg no more without,
namely, swines' meat. For if thou wilt needs be
a beggar, ask and crave within of thy Lord Jesua,
for He is rich enough, and gladlier would give
thee than thou canst a^k, and run no more out
as a beast of the flock, that is a worldly man or
woman, that hath no delight but in his bodily
senses. And if thou do thus, thy Lord Jesus
will give thee all that thou needest, for He will
lead thee into His wine cellar, and make thee to
taste and try His wines, which liketb thee best,
for he hath many tuns. Thus a chosen soul, joy-
QitHc* ii. ing in our Lord, aaith of Him in holy Writ : 7%e
King brought me inii> His ivine tellar. That is to
say : Ina^imuch as I forsook the drunkenness of
fieshly lusts and worldly likings, which are bitter
as wormwood, therefore the King of bliss, the
Lord Jesus, led me in : that is, first into myself
for to behold and know myself, and after He led
roe into His cellar ; that is to say, above myself ,
' Reprieved,
I
The First Book
117
by ascending and passing into Him alone, and
gave mo a laste of His wine i that is for to taste
a cenaincy of spiritual sweetness and heavenly
joy. These aro not the words of me, a wretched
caitiff, living in sin, but ihey are the words of
the spouse of our Lord in holy Writ; and these
words I say to lhee» to the end that thou might-
est draw in thy soul Ixom without, and follow on
further as well as thou canst.
I will show thee furthermore (for thy desire \i'f>rf, fa* fiet]
draweth more out of my heart than I thought to '}f/''S^I'"
have said in the beginning) when the use of thy 'sZ,i'mlihtn
sense* be deadly sin, and when venial. Thus, f"h vniaL
therefore, our Lord aaith in the Gospel : A men
made a gr^aC supper, and called fnany therch^ and -S/iwfcxiv.
sent his servant at suppcT'ttmey a/ier titan that
were hidden. The first excused himself, and said
en this wise, fhat he could not come^ fur he had
bought a farm. The other also excused himse//\
that he could not a^me, for he had bought five yoke
of oxen, and watt to fry than. The thira^for that
he had mafritd a wife. I forbear to speak of
the first and of the last, and will tell ye of ih©
middlemost of ihem, that had bought the oxen,
for he is to our purpose. Five yoke of oxen be-
token the five senses, which are beastly as an ox.
Now this man that was called to the supper was
not rejected because he bought the oxen, hui be-
cause he went to try them, and so he wouid not
come. Right so say I to thee ; for to have thy
senses, and to use them in need, it is no sin^ but
if thou go voluntarily to try them by rain de-
lights in creatures, then it is sin. And if thou
choose that delight as a final rest of thy soul,
and as a full liking, that thou carest not to have
any other bliss but such worldly vanities, then is
it deadly, for tliou choosest It as thy God, and so
ii8
The Scale of Perfection
shah thou be put from thy supper ; for St Paul
forbids us to use our ceases in thai manner when
he said thus: Thou shall not go after thy lusts,
nor voluntarily try thy likings. A man or a
woman that is encumbered with deadly sin shall
hardly escape deadly sin in this business, though
he perceiveth it not; but I hope this toucheth
not thee.
Nevertheless^ if thou through frailty delight
thee in thy senses, and in such vanities, but yet
keep est thyself in charity and the grace of
God as to other things, and choosest not this de-
light for a full rest of thy soul, but always settest
up God above all things in thy desire, this sin in
thee is venial ; and that more or less according
to its circumstances; nor shalt thou for these
venial sins be put from the supper in the bliss
of heaven, but thou shalt want the tasting and
the assaying of that delicate sapper, whilst thou
livest here on earth, unless Ihou be busy with all
thy might to withstand and conquer such venial
sins, for though it be so that venial sios break
not charity* yet soothly they let the fervour and
the ghostly feeling of charity.
But thou wilt say again, that thou canst not
keep from hearing of vanities, for divers, both
those that live in the world and others, come oft
to speak with thee, and tell thee some tales of
vanity.
As unto this I say thus, that thy communing
with thy neighbour is not much hurt to thee, but
helpeth thee sometimes, if thou order thy busi-
ness wisely; for that thou mayesl try and find
out thereby the measure of thy charity to thy
neighbour, whether it be much or little. Thou
art bounden (as all other men and women are) to
love thy neighbour principally in thy heart, and
'he First Book
W
P^'
also in deeds to show him tokens of charity, as
reason askeih, according; to thy might and know-
ledge. And since it is so that thou oughtest not
to go out of thy house to seek occasion how thou
mighlcat profit thy neig-hbour by deed.s of charity,
btcausa thou art enclojied ; nevertheless thou art
bound to love all men in thy heart, and to show
some tokens of true love to them that came to
thee. And therefore, whoso will speak with
thee, whatsoever he be, or of what degree ^o-
ever, though thou knowe^t not what he is^ nor
why he comeih, yet be thou 50on ready with
a good will to ask what his will is, be not
dainty, nor suffer him long to wait for thee,
but look how ready and how glad thoii wouldst
be if an angel of heaven should come and speak
with thee, so ready and so buxom be thou in will
for to speak with thy neighbour when he cometh
to ihee, for thou knowest not what he is, nor why
he cometh, nor what need he hath of thee, or
ou of him, till thou habt tried. And though
thou be at prayer, or at thy demotions, that thou
thinkest loth to break off, for that thou thinkest
that thou oughieal not leave God for to apeak
with any one, I think not so in this case, for if
thou be wise thou shatt not leave God, but thou
shalt find Him, and have Him. and see Him, in
thy neighbour, as well as in prayer, only in
another maEner.
If thou canst lov€ thy neighbour well, to speak
with thy neig-hbour with discretion shall be no
hindrance to ihee. Discretion shalt thou have
on this manner as me thinkcth ; Whoso cometh
to thee, ask him meekly what he would have;
and if he come to tell thee his disease or trouble
and to be comforted by thy speech, hear him
gladly^ and suffer him to say what he will, for
OHrseivrsviti
rAern that
coric iit if'inti
120
The Scale of Perfection
ease of his own heart ; and when he hath done,
comfort him if thou canst, gladly, gently and
charitably, and aoon break oS. And then, after
that, if he will fall into idle tales, or vanities of
the world, or of other men's actions, answer him
but little, and feed not his speech, and he will
soon be weary, and quickly take his leave,
Jf it be another man that cometh to leach
thee, as some Churchman, etc.^ hear him hum-
bly, and with reverence to his order ; and if his
speeches comfort thee, ask of him more what
thou needest, and take not upon thee to leach
htm, for it falleth not to thy share to teach a
priest, but in case of necessity. If his speech
comfort thee or pro&t thee not, answer little, and
he will soon take his leave^
Jf it be another man that cometh to give thee
his alms, or olse for to hear thee speak, or to
be taught by thee, speak gently and humbly to
them all, reprove no man for his faults, for that be-
longeth not to thee, unless he be the more homely
or familiar with thee, that thou knowest that he
will take it well from thee. And to be short in
this matter of thy telling of another of his faults,
I say, that when thou conceivest that it will do
him good (namely, in his soul) thou mayest tell
him thy mind, if thou hast opportunity, and if he
is likely to take it well. And above all other
things, in this matter of conversing with thy
neighbour, keep silence as much as thou canst,
and then shalt thou see that by so doing thou
Shalt in short time be troubled with little press
or company that would come to hinder thy de-
votions. This is ray opinion herein ; do thou
better if thou canst.
The First Book
121
CHAPTER X
Of ihrtt Starts of Men, whereof some be not reformed,
and some be reformed oaly m Faith, and some
both in Faith and Fceiin^
But thou wile say that Lhou hast done all this,
namely, stopped the windows of thy five senses, so
that thou seest no worldly things, nor hearest
them, nor hasl any use of thy senses, more than
need reqiiireth ; and for that end thou art en-
ctosedn And to this I answer : If thou do thus,
as I hope thou do^t, then hast thou stopped a
great window of this image, but yet art thou not
secure ; for that thou hast not stopped the privy
holes of the imaginaiions of thy heart. For
though thou seest me not with thy bodily eye.
yet mayest thou see me at the same time in thy
soul b/imag;inaticn ; and so irayest thou do of
all bodily things. If, tht^n^ tliou feede^^t thy soul
willingly and wittingly by imaginations of vani-
ties of the world, and desiring of worldly things ;
as a comfort or pleasure and ease ; verily though
thy soul be kept within as to thy bodily senses,
it h notwithstanding far without by tuch vain
imaginations.
But now lhou wilt ask me whether it be any
great sin for a soul to busy itself in such vani-
ties, cither by the outward senses or by the in-
ward imaginations and thoughts. As unto this
1 say ; that I would never have thee ask any man
this question ; for he that will truly love God, he
osketh not commonly, iDhether this or that he tht
greater st7t? For he will think that whatsoever
Eletli him from the love of God is a great sin,
will think nothing sin but that thing which
122
The Scale of Perfection
is not good, and letteth him from the love of
God. What is sin but a wanting or & forbear-
ing" of good i I say not that it will or ought to
grieve mm so much as a mortal sin would, or
a venial sin should, neither say 1 but that he
knoweth and distinguishelh a mortal sin from
a venial, and fleeth it more than the other
CHAPTER XI
A Brief ReKcueal of whit h&ih been said la the
former Chaptero^ with Ji Pcrlraiturc of ihb d«k
Image of Sin
By this that X have said mayest thou see a little
the darknesa of this image of sin, not that I h&v&
described it fully to thee as it is^ for I cannot;
nevertheless by this little thou mayest see mora
if thou look well.
But thou wilt say, how know you that I bear
about me such an image aa you speak of? To
which I answer, that I may take to me a word
/wl lii. said by the prophet, which is this : htveni idolum
mihi^I have found an tdol tn wyu//: that is, a
false image, which some call an idol, very foul,
disfigured and miHshapen with wretchedness of
all those sins which 1 have spoken of, by the
which 1 am cast down into fleshly or -sensual
pleasures and worldly vanities, from cleanness
of heart, and feeling of spiritual virtues, more
than I can or may say ^ and such fall of mine
much grieveth me, and I cry God mercy for it.
By this wretchedness which I feel in my own
aelfj more than 1 have said, may I the better tell
thee of thy image, for we all came oi Adam and
Eve, clothed with clothes of beasts' skins, as the
Gen. m. Scripture saith : Our L&rd made fo Adam and /as
The First Book
"3
The Paris of
this Jmnef*
Scelus. K.
m/e ciothss of a host's hide. In token that by
5tn ihey were come to be misshapen like to a
beast, in which beastly clothes we all are born,
and wrapped, and disftgiired from our kingly
shape.
This then is an ugly imagre to look upon ;
whose head is pride ; for pride 15 the first and
principal "^in, as ihe wke man saith \ The hi'
ginmng of ail friarmer ^sin is pri<U, The back
and hinder pari of it is covtiousness^ as St Paul Phu. \\i,
saith ? / forget that which is behind (vizi, all
worldly things) and I s/rekh forward to £hal which
is bifvre. The breast (in which is the heart) is
Envy I for it is no fleshly sin, but it is a devil's
sin. as the ivise man salth : Ry envy of the dfvil wUd, ji.
dfoih carm into the 'worlds for ail those that are of
his party follow him therein. The arms of it are
ftrro/A, inasmuch as a man wreaketh or revenfl-eth
himself by his arms, contrary to ChrisVa bidding
in the Gospeh If a man smite thee upon one cheeky Si Mat/, v,
thou shalt not smite him ag'ain, but offer htm the
other. The belly of this image is giuttoity, as St
Paul saith : Meat serveth for the belly-, and the , cor. vi.
Ully for meait hut God shall destroy them both ;
namely, at the last dav, when shall be the full re-
forming of his chosen, and damning' of the repro-
bate. The members of it are lechery, ^f iht^ which
St Paul saith thus : Yield not your members to be
instruments of iniquity unto sin; especially to
this sin of lechery. The feet of it are sloth; there-
fore the wiae man said to the slow and lazy
person (to stir him up to do good deeds), R^en, Prtrv. vi.
make hasle^ ratse thy friend, that is to say, run
quickly about to good works, and make haste, for
the time passeih, and raise up thy friendj which
i* Je^us, by devout Prayer and Meditation, Here
hiut thou heard the members of this image.
J
124
The Scale of Perfection
PsaL EZ3L1
CHAPTER XU
A cfMTiparJns of thii Imagie with \hz Tma&c of Jfsuit
and how it is to ht dealt with
This i% not the imaK^e of Jesus, but it is lilcer an
image of the Devil, for the image of Jeaus is
made of virtues, with humility' and perfect love
and charity ; but tbis is made of false fleshly love
to thyself, with all those members, spoken of in
the former chapter^ fastened thereto. This image
bearest thou, and every man whatsoever he be,
until by grace of Jesus it be somewhat destroyed
and broken down. Thus David seemeth to say
in the Psalter: Man fiassdh azvay as an image^
arid is trotthUd in tiatn. Which is as if he had
said I Though it be so that man in the beginniag
was made after the image of Grod, stable and
sledfast ; nevertheless because of sin, he pro-
ceedeth far in this image of sin, living in this
world, by the which he is unstable and troubled
in vain. Also Si Paul speakoth of this Image
thus ; As zoff have kerttofoTK horns the ima^e of the
earthly man, the first Adam, that is, the image of
sin, Right so mrw (if we will come to the love of
God) Ut us bear the im'^ge of the heavifily ntan
*Jesus, which ia ih^ image of virtues.
Wliat shalt thou do with this imager T an-
t&Ucruii^ed. gp^^p tjjg^ ^y a ^^.^^^^ ^^^^ ^he Jews said to Pilate
of Christ — Lrucxfy Him. Take thou this bociy of
sin, and do Him on the Cross ; that is to say,
break down this image, and slay the false love of
sin in thyself: as Christ's body was slain for our
sins and trespasses ; right so it behoveth thee, if
thou wilt be like Christ, slay thy bodily liking
Gal. V. and fleshly lusts in thyself, Thus said St Paul:
The First Book
125
Those that art Christ* s /ollu:eers have crtuijied and
slam ihetrJhsJt (that is, the image of sin) wt£h ail
(he lusis, and the unreasonable desires and appe-
tites of it. Slay then and break down Pride, and
set up Humilii/i also break down Angler and
Hnvj', and raise up Love and Charity to thy
neighbour. Also instead of C ove to usneas, poverty
of Spirit; instead of Sloth, fervour in devotion
with cheerful readiness to all gfood deeds { and
instead of Gluttony and Lechery^ Sobriety and
Charity in body and soul. This considered St
Paul, when he said thus ; PuUing off the oU man ^/A«. [v.
Tutfk nil his numbers, whtch is rotten tiecor/itug to
the desires of error, ye shall yhape you and chthe
you in the nem vuiit^ ivhich is ike image of God by
holiness and rtghfecuswss and perfection of vir-
tues. Who shall help thee to break down this
image 1 Verily thy Lord Jesus. In the virtue
and in the Name erf Hira shalt thou break down
this mawment (or idol) of sin, pray to Him
earnestly, and desire it, and He shall help thee.
Gather then thy heart together, and t!o after '_**^' Byker^
the counsel of the wi3e man, when he saith thus :
IVtth ail diligence keep thitic hearty for out of tt
tometh life, and that is when it is well kept, for /Vbv. it.
then wise thoughts, dean affections and burning
desires of virtues and of charity, and of the bliss
of Heaven come out of it, making" the soul to live
A. blessed life. But on the contrary, if it be noi
kept, then as our Lord saith in the Gospel, evil
thoughts and unclean affections come out of ike
heart ivhich defile thf msan. They either benumb
and kill the life of the soul by mortal sin, or else
they enfeeble the soul and make it sick, if they
be venial. Vot what is a man but hb thoughts
;ttuf his loves? These alone make a man good
or bad* bo much as thou lovest tiod and thy
A^fd Mow?
1st. Bytht
help 9/ /cnf.
iHg out
126
The Scale of Perfection
9 w m/wy
heirr/ at J
affifcUojis.
neigfhbour, and knowest Him, so much is thy
soui, and if thuu love Him litile, liiile is thy soul,
and if Ihou love Him not at 3\\j nothing at all
is thy souL It i& nothing as to good, but it is
much as to sin. And if thou wilt know what
thou lovest, look and observe what thou thinkest
upon most, for where our love is» there is our
eye; and where our liking is, upon that our
heart is thinking moht. If thou love God much,
thou likest to think much upon Him, and if thou
love Him little, then little doat thou think upon
Him. Rule well thy thoug-hts and thine affec-
tions, and then art thou virtuous.
Undertake then the breaking down of Ihia
imag*e, when thou hast first well bethought thee
ol tiiyself, and of ihy wretchedness, inwardly* as
1 have said, how proud, how vain, how envious,
how melancholy (or frowardj, how covetous, how
f eshly, and how full of corruption. Also how
little knowing, feeling or savour thou hast of
Gud and of spiritual things, how wise, how quick
and how much savour thou hast in earthly things.
And (that I may say all in one word) how thou
art as full of sin as an hide or skin is full of fiesh,
yet be not thou loo much dejected, though thou
thinkest thus of thyself And when thou hast
done thuSf lift up then the desire of thy heart to
thy Lord Jesus, and pray for His help, cry to
Him with great desires and sighings that He
will help thee to bear this great burthen of thia
image, or else that He w^ll break it. Think also
what a shame it is for thee to be fed with swmes'
meat of fleshly savours, that oughtest to ftsel
a spiritual &avour of heavenly joy.
If thou dost thus^ then beginnesl thou to rise
against the whole ground of sin in thee, as I have
said. And it may be that thou shalt feel pain
The First Book
127
and sorrow, for thou must know that no soul can
live without pain, heavinesji and sadness, unless
that she tako delight or have her rest either in
her Creator or in some crealiire. And, therefore,
when thou riseat against thyself by a fervent
desire for to attain to the feeHng^ of thy Lord
Jesus within thee, and for to draw away thy love
from ail bodily thinjfs, and from rest in all bodiJy
feelings, insomuch that thou art even a burthen
to thyself, and it seems to thee that all creatures
are risen up against thee, and all the things,
which heretofore thou tookest delight in, do now
turn thee to pain and heaviness. And when thou
hast thus forsaken thyself, and canst not likely,
for all that, aa yet find comfort in God, neeiia
must thy soul feel and suffer pain in this case.
Nevertheless, I hope that he that will suffer this
pain awhile, stedfastly, cleaving' to the desire
and naked mind after Jesus Christ, and to that
hb desire, that he will have nothing but hia
Lord, and will not lightly depart therefrom, nor
seek any other comfort from without for a lima
(for it iasteth not long), our Lord is nigh to him,
and soon shall ease his heart, for He will help
him to bear his body or eensuaUty, which is full
of corruption ; and will, with His merciful power
of His gracious presence, break down this false
image of love in him ; not all at once, but by a'i?rrfj more
little and little, till he be in some measure re- "^>*
formed to His likeness.
After such a total rising and resolution made
by thee against thyself, when it is passed thou
shall more soberly, more genily and more easily rhrmeam to
rule thyselfj and more charily keep and guard fiidUtaiMit.
I thy thoughts and thine affections, and shak note
I and discern them, whether they be good or bad.
I And thereupon if afterwards thou feel (1 put this
Bui fljfei'
128
The Scale of Perfection
for an example) a stirring of pride in any manner
or spice of it, be then presently well aware, as
well and as soon as thou canst, and sufTer it not
to escape away lig-htly, but take it in mind, and
there rent it, break it and despise It, and do all
the shame thou canst unto it ; look thou spare it
notf nor believe it, though it speak never so fair,
for it is false, though it seem to be truth ; as the
liaiasiU. prophet sailh : My people^ Ihfiy who call thse
hiesscdt do deceive thee (by their so saying) and
tt)ouid bring thee into error.
And if thou be diligent to do thus, thou shall,
by the grace of Jesus, within short time, stop
much of the spring of Pride and much abate tha
vain delight thereof, so that thoii shalt very early
feel any such motion in thee. And when thou
feelest it, it shall be so weak and, as ic were, ha]f
dead, that it shall not much trouble thee. And
then shalt thou have a spintual sight of the
virtue of Humility, and see how good and how
fair it is, and thou shalt desire it and love it for
it* goodness, so that it shall please thee both to
behold and see thyself as thou art indeed, and
also to be esteemed and held by others to be
such a one, that is full of corruption, and [if need
be) to suffer gladly despite and reproof for love of
righteousness*
In like manner when thou feelest any stir-
rings of wrath, or anger, or of melancholic
risings of heart, or any other evil will against
thy neighbour, for any manner of cause, though
it seem reasonable, and not to be against chanty,
beware of it, and be ready with thy thought to
restrain it, that it turn not into a further liking
or consent ; resist it as much as thou canst, and
follow it not neither by word nor deed ; but as it
rtsethj smite It down again, and so shalt thou
The First Book
129
slay it with the sword of the fear of God^ that it
shall not trouble thee, for know well in all lliese
stirrings of pride, valn-glory, envy, or any other,
that as soon as thou perceiveth iti and resistest
it with displeasure of thy will and of thy reason,
thou slayeat it. Though it be so, that it cleave
siill upon thy heart ag^ainat thy will, and will
not lightly pass away, fear it not, for though
it letteth thy soul from peace, yet dolh it not
defile her,
Ri^ht so in like manner shalt thou do against
all evil stirrings of Covetousnehs, Sloth, Gluttony
and Lechery i that thou be always ready with
thy reason and thy will to reprove them and
despise them,
>'Vnd this mayest thou do the better, and the
more readily, if thou be diligent and careful to
set thy heart most upon one thing, and that is AiLfXTfUfni
nought else but a spiritual desire after God, hnw ^f^^ff^'^^
to please Him, love Him and know Him, to see •ntour ,/e.>irt
Him and to enjoy Him by grace here in a little "^t g°^'
feeling, and in the bliss of Heaven in a full being.
This desire, if thou keep it, it will tell thee what
is sin, and what is not ; and what thing is good
and what belter ; and if thou wilt but fasten thy
thoughts to the same desire, it shall teach thee
all that thou needest, and ic shall procure thea
all that thou wantest. And, theretore, whenso-
ever tliou risest against the ground of sin in
Sfeneral, or again&t the ground of any particular
Mn, hang fast upon this desire^ and set the point
of thy thoughts more upon God whom thou
desirest than upon the sin which thou abhorrest.
And if thou do so, then God fighteth for the*',
and will destroy sin in thee. And thou shale
much sooner come to thy purpose if thou doest
thus, than if thou shouldst leave thy humble
g
130
The Scale of Perfection
desire principally after God, and set thy heart
only against the stirring's of sin, as though thou
^■ouldst destroy it by thy own mastering of it,
but thou 5haU never so bring il about.
Gal
CHAPTER Xm
How a Man sh^II be shap«n to the Iir^ge of Jeaus,
dnd JcAua sKap^n in him
Do aa 1 have said, and better if thou canst, and
I hope by the grace of Jesus thou shalt make the
devil ashamed, and shalt break down all such
wicked stirrings, that they shall not much trouble
thee. And by this course may the image of sin
be broken down in thee and destroyed, by the
which thou art misshapen from the kindly shape
of Christ's image ; and thou shalt be reformed
and shapen again to ihe image of the Humanity
of Jesus, by humility and charii}'-, and after-
vrards shalt thou become full shapen to the
image itself of the Godhead, whilst thou livesi
here, as it were in a shadow of it in contempla-
tion, and hereafter in verity and full reality in
the bliss of Heaven.
Of this shaping to the likeness of Christ S£
Paul speaks thus i My iittle chiUrcn whom I
travail -.vilh again (as a woman that were with
child with you) laifil Chrht he ^haptti agnin ik
you. Uliou hast conceived Christ within thee by
faith, and Helrvethin thy soul by grace, inasmuch
as thou habt a good will and a desire to serve Him
and please Him ; but He is not yet fully shapen
an thee^ nor thou in Him by perfection of charity.
And therefore St Paul bare thee and me and
others also with travail, as a woman beareth
J
'he First Book
"3»
a child, until the time thai Christ hath His foil
shape in ua, and we in Him. Of this treateth
the second book.
CHAPTER XIV
Th? Conclusion of this Book, and of tfif Cnuse wfiy
11 was made, and how she for wliom it was made
vd^ to make use o£ it
Whoso thinkest to attain to the working anJ Thrtrue-rvaf
to the full use of contemplation and rot by this '" ^"'"^ '<>
way, that is by perfection of virtues, and taking J^^'^''"'^'"'
full heed thereto, cometh not in by the door, and
therefore as a thief ho shall be cast ouc. I say
not but that a man may have by the gift of God,
at by times, a tasting and a glimmering of the con-
templative life; some I say at the beginning of
their conversion. But the solid feeling of it shall
he not have, until he have gotten in him some
perfection of virtues. For Christ is the door,
and is aUo the porter, and without His leave
and His liberty no man may come in ; as He
Himself saith : A'l? man conictk to the Father but stphu v[v.
hy Aft. That is to say, no man can come to the
contemplation of the Gotlhead but he that is first
reformed by perfection of humility and charity,
10 the likeness of Jesus in His Humanity.
Lo, then, have I told thee a little^ as melhink-
eth, first of Contemplaii\'e life, what it is; and
then of the ways which, by the grace of God,
lead thereunto. Not as if I had it myself in
feeling and in working, as I have it in talking.
Nevertheless, I would b/ this writing of mine
(such as it is) first stir up my own negligence to
do better than I have done ; and also my purpose
is, to stir thee, or any other man or woman that
132
The Scale of Perfection
hath taken the slate of life Coniemplative, to
traviiil more diligently and more humbly in that
manner of life, by such simple words as God
hath given me grace for to say. And therefore,
if there bi^ any word therein thai stirreth thee or
corafoneth ihee more lo the love of God, thank
God, for it is His gift and not of the words
written. And if it comfoneih thee not, and
thou uTiderstandest it not readily, study not too
long about it, but lay it aside till another time,
and go to thy prayers or some other business;
take it as it will come, and not all at once.
Also these words which I write, take them
not too strictly, but when thou thinkest, upon
good consideration, that 1 write too short, either
Tor lack of English or lack of reason, I pray
thee amend it only where need is. Alao these
words which 1 write to thee, belong not all of
them lo one that is of an active life, but to thee
or to any other which hath the state of life con-
templative.
The Grace of our Lord Jeaos Christ be wilh
thee.
THE SECOND BOOK
CHAPTER I
SECTION I
Thai a M±n is ihe Im^^e of Gnd afler ihc SouT and
not aft«r tk« Body; and how tie is restored and
reformed thereto that wa^ mi&shiipcn by Sin
Forasmuch as tbou desirest greatly, and askest
it for charily, to hear more of that image of
which I ha%'e spoken in the former book in parti
iherefore I shall williTigly, with fear, fall to ihy
desire, and by the help of our Lord's grace, in
whom I fully trust, shall open to tliee a little
more of this image.
1 tell thee in truth, that 1 understand nought
else thereby, bat thy soul. For thy soul and my
soul and every rational soul is an image, and
that a worthy one, for it is the image of (rod,
as the Scripture saith: Man ss God's ima^e iwd ^^^ ,
ituttfc to the image aitd likeness of Him; not in His
bodily shape without, but in his faculties withrr,
as holy Writ saith ; Our Lord Gi>d shitted man
in f/s's soul Co His (r.vn luiage and likfut^ss. This
is the image that 1 have spoken of. This image,
made after the image of God in its first shaping,
was wonderful fair and bright, full of burning
love and ghostly light, but through the sin of the
first man Adam it was disfigured and misshapen
into another likeness, as 1 have said before, for it
fell from that gho^tly light and that heavenly
feeding into painful darkness and lust of this
i34
The Scale of Perfection
wretched life, exiled and driven out from the
inheritance of Heaven, thai it should have had
if it had continued, into the wretchedness of this
earchi and afterward into the prison of hell, there
lo have been without end ; from which prison it
should never rtturii to the heavenly inheritance
until it were reformed to the first shape and like-
ness. But that reforming could not be made by
any eanhh' man, for every man was in the same
mischief, and none was sufhcietit to help himself,
and so much less another man. Therefore it
needed to be done by Him that was more than
man, that ]s God alone- And it was needful that
He should reform and restore man to bliss (if
ever he were to be saved) who of His infinite
goodness first created him thereto. Now, then,
1 shall tell thee, how he might be reformed, and
how he is reformed to his fi.rst likeness by Him
that firiil made and framed him, for that is the
restoTfit intent of this wrilingn The justice of God re-
ftyf^fPiisiion quireth that a sin committed be not forgiven,
unless that amends be made for it, if it may be
done. Now it is certain that mankind that
was perfect in Adam the first man (sinning so
grievously against God, when he broke His
special command, and assented to the false
counsel of the devil) deserved justly to be
separated from Him, and damned to hell with-
out end, so far forth, that according to God's
justice, he could not be forgiven, unless amends
were first made, and fuU satisfaction given. Bu^t
this amends could none makethat was man only.
and proceeded out o? Aif-fm by generation; be-
cause that the trespass and dishonour done to
God was endless great^ and therefore it passed
man's power to make amends for it. And,
sixt/ntify, because he that had offended, and would
.Vin
vfCAiisi.
'he Second Book
*35
make amends for it, ougfht to give and pay unto
him whom he had offended, all that he owed him,
though he had not offended, and over and besides
ihal, to give and pay him something ihat he
owed notj ir regard of the same offence and in^
jury done, Bui mankind had not wherewith to
pay God for his trespass* over and above that
which he owed him, for what good soever man
CDuld do in body or soul wa.s but his debt; for
every iran oupfbt, as the Gospel saith : /"br to lovt
God ivUh ail //IS hearty and all hts soul, artd all
his might ; and belter than this could he not do ;
and nevertheless this deed was not sufficient to
the reforming of mankind, nor could he do this
until he was hrst reformed. Then needed it, that
if man's soul should be reformed, and the tres-
pass made good, that our Lord God Himself
should reform this image, and make amends for
the trespass, since no man could. But that
might He not do in His Godhead, for He might
Tiui, nor ought not, to make amends by suffering
pain in Hi.^ own nature, therefore it was neces-
sary, that He should lake the same nature that
had trespassed, and so become man. And that
could Me not do by the common way of genera-
lion ; for it was impossible for God's Son to be
born of touched woman, therefore must He be-
come man through a gracious generation by the
working of the Holy Gho&l of a pure gracious
Virgin our Lady SS Mary ; and so it was done ;
for our Lord Jesus, God's Son, became man ; and
through His precious death which He suffered,
made amends to the Father of Heaven for man's
guilt. And that could He well do, for He was
God, and ought not anything for Himself, but
only as He was man, born of the same kind that
Adam was that tirst trespassed, and so though
.36
The Scale of Perfection
He ought it not for His own person, for that He
had not sinned. Nevertheless He oiig-ht it of His
free will, for the trespass of maokind, having
taken upon Him their nature for the salvation
of man, out of His endless mercy,
Forbooih it is, there was never any man that
could yield to God anything of his own which he
owed not, but only this blessed Jesus; for He
coLild pay God something' which He owed nor,
for Himself, which was but one thing-, namely, to
give His precious life by voluntary undertaking
death for Love of justice, this He owed not. As
much good indeed as He was able to do in thii
life, for the honour of God was all but due debt ;
but to undergo death for the love of justice, He
was not bound thereto. He was bound to justice,
but He was not bound to die : for death is only
a pain ordained to man for his own sin. But our
Lord Jesus Christ never sinned, neither could sin,
and therefore He ought not to clje. Since then
He ought not to die, and yet died willingly, there-
fore paid He to God more than He ought. And
since that was the best man's deed, and most
worthy that ever was done, therefore, was it rea-
aonable that the sin of mankind should be for-
given- Inasmuch as mankind had found a man
of tiie same kind, without spot of sin, that is
Jesus; that might make amends for the trespass
done^ and might pay our Lord God all that He
ought ; and over and above, that which He ought
not- Since, then, that our Lord Jesus, God and
man, died thus for the salvation of man's soul,
it was just that sin should be forgiven, and man's
soul, that was His image, should or might be re-
formed and restored to the first likeness, and to
the bliss of Heaven.
This passion of our Lord, and this precious
The Second Book
>37
death is the ground of all the reforming of man's
30ul; wiihout which man's soul could never be
reformed to the likeness of ?Iim, nor cume to the
bliss of Heaven ; but blessed be He for aU these
Hi* works. Now so it is, that through the virtue
of Hk precious pa&sion, the flaming asvord of the
Cherubim that drove Adam out of Paradise is
now put away ; and the endless gates of Heaven
are open to every man that will enter in thereto.
For the person of Jesus is both God and King of
Heaven in the bliss of the Father, and as man.
He is porter at the gate> ready to receive every
soul that will be reformed here in this life to His
likeness. For now may every soul, if he will, be
reformed to the likeness of God; since that the
trespass is forgiven, and the amends through
Jesus is made for the first guilt, Neverlheleas
though this be true, yet all souls have not the
profit nor the fruit of this precious passion, nor
are reformed to the likeness of Him.
SECTION II
I That Jfws anc^ Pagans and also falw Christians ate
I not reformed cffeclually through the virtue of the
I Pauion through their own Faults
r Two manner of men are not reformed by the
I virtue of this passion. One ia of them that know
I it not ; another is of them that love it not, Jews
and Pagans have not the beaehtj because they
know it not- Jews under?itand rot that Jesus the
Son of the Virgin Mdry is God's Son. Also the
Pagans know it rot that the sovereign wisdom of
God would become the Son of man, and in His
manhood would suffer the pains of death. And
therefore the Jews held the preaching of the
138
The Scale of Perfection
Cross and of the Passion nought but slander
and blasphemy i and the Pagans held it nought
but fancy and foUy. But tme Christians hold it
the sovereign wisdom of God and His mighiy
I &*. r. power. Thus saith Sf Paul: We preach unto
you Christ crtACifUd, h ikt Jews a siumbhng blacky
and to tkt' Gtntile^ foolishness ; hut to those that be
called, both Jews and Greeks, Chnst the Po^er of
G^ and tkt Wisdtrm xjf God. And therefore these
men* through their unbeliefj put themselves Irom
the reforming' of their own souls, and continuing
in this unbelief, shall never be saved nor come to
the bliss of Heaven. Forsooth it is, from the be-
ginning of Lhe world to the last emiing wa.'i there
never any man saved, nor shall be, unless he be-
lieve generally or specially in Jesus Christ, to
come, or already come. For right as all chosen
souls, that were before the Incarnation under the
Old Testament, believed in Christ that He should
come, to reform men's souls; and that either with
Fin open and clear belief, as the Patriarchs and
Prophets and other holy men did ; or else with
a secret and general belief, as children and other
simple and imperfect soul^ had thac had no
special or explicit clear knowledge of the My-
stery of the Incarnation ; right so, all chosen souls
under the New Testament have belief in Christ
already corner either openly and feelingly, as
spiritual men and wise men have, or else gene-
rally, as children have that are christened, and
other simple and unlearned souls have, that are
nourished in the bosom of holy Church.
Since this is so, methinks that those men err
greatly and grievously who say that Jews and
Turks» by keeping of their own law, may be
saved, though they believe not in Jesus Christ,
as holy Church believeth \ inasmuch as they be-
^
The Second Book
<39
lievG that their own faith is good, and secure,
and sufficient for their salvation. And in That
belief they do as it seems many good deods of
justice and righlcousntss, and peradvenlure if
they knew that ihe Christian faith were better
than their own, they would leave their own and
take it ; and therefore they shall be saved. But
1 say this is not enough, for Christ, God and
man. is hoLh the way and the end. And He is
the mediator betwixt God and man, and without
Him can ro soul be reconciled, nor come to the
bliss of Heaven, and therefore they that believe
not in Him who i^ both God and roan, can never
he saved nor come to bliss.
Other men also, that love not Christ, nor His
Passion, are not reformed in their souls to His
likeness, and these are false Christians, which
are out of grace and charity, and live and die
in deadly sin. These men know well, as it
secmeth, that Jesus is God's Son, and that His
pasMon siifficeth to the salvation of man's soul;
and they believe also the other articles of faith.
But it is an unshapen and dfrad faith, for Ihey
love Him not, nor choose the fruit of His passion,
but lie still in their sins, and in the false love of
this world, unto their last end; and so they be
not reformed to the likeness of God, but go to
the pains of Hell endlessly, as Jews and Turks
do, and into much more and greater pains than
they, inasmuch as ihey had the truth and kept it
not ; for that makes their sin greater than if they
had never known it.
If then thou wilt know what souls are reformed
here in this life to the image of God through the
virtue of His Passion ; verily, only tliose that be-
lieve in Him and love Him; in which souls, the
image of God ih^t was misshapen through ^n, as
140
The Scak of Perfection
it were, into a foul beast's likeness, is restored
and reformed to its first shape, and to the worthi-
ness and worship that ic had in the beginning;
without which restoring" and reforming' never
shall any soul be saved nor come to bliss.
CHAPTER n
Of two Manners of reforminE; cf this Ima^'f d' i°
fulness, anoeher in p^t
Now thou wilt say ; How can this be, that the
image of God, which is mans soul, should be
reformed here in this life to His likeness in any
creature? Whereas the contrary seemeth tnie,
nay, it seems that il cannot possibly be so i For
if it were reformed, then should it have a stable
memorj', a clear sifihl or understanding, a clear
burning love to God and spiritual thing's ever-
lastingly, as it had in the beginning. But these
hath no creature living here in this life, as thou
perceivest; for as for thyself, thou canst truly
say, that thou art far from it. Thy memory, thy
reason, and thy love of thy soul, are so much set
upon the beholding and loving of earthly things,
that of spiritual things thou feelest right little.
Thou feelesi no reforming in thyself, but art so
wrapped about with this black image of sin. for
all that thou canst do, that upon what side so-
e\'er thou turnest, thou feelest thyself defiled and
spotted with fleshly stirrings of this foul image ;
and other changings thou feelest none, fresh
fleahlmcss into spiriiualness, neither in the in-
ward faculties of thy sou) within, nor in bodily
feelings or thy senses without. Wherefore it
seems to thee that it cannot be that this image
should be so reformed-
The Second Book
141
Thou askest, therefore, how it can be r^fformed?
To this I answer^ and say thus : There be two
manners of reforming of the imag-e of God which
is man's soul, whereof one is in fulness, another is
in part. Reforming in fulness cannot be had in
this life, but is deterred till after, to the bliss
of Heaven, where man's soul shall fully be re-
formed ; not to that state that it had at the first
by nature, or might have had through grace if
it had stood whole; but it shall be restored to
much more bliss, and much higher joy through
the great mercy and the endless gooJness of
God, than it should have had if it had never
fallen. For then shall the soul receive the whole
arid the full feeling of God in all its faculties,
without any other love or affection to anything
el*ie interposing ici^elf- And it shall see man-
kind in the person of jesus exalted above the
kind or nature of Angeis, united to the GoJhead,
for then shall Jesus, both God and man, be all in
all, and only He, and none other but He, as the
Prophet saith : Our I^ord (Jesus} in thai day shaK js^iai \\.
ic exalted mtly. And also the body of man shali
then be glorified, for it shall receive fully the rich
dowry of immortaHty, with all that belongeth
thereto. Tliis shall a soul have with the body,
and much more than I can say; but that shall
be the bliss of Heaven^ but not in this life. For
though it be so that the Passion of our Lord be
the cause of all this fijll reforming of man's
soul; nevertheless it was not His will to grant
it straightways after passion, to all chosen souls
that were living at the time of His Passion, bui
He delayed it unto the last day, and that for this
reason ; Manifest it is that our Lord Jesus Christ
of His mercy bath ordained a certain number of
^ouls to salvation, which number was not fulfilled
d
142
The Scale of Perfection
ffti.
in the time of His Passion, and therefore it need-
ed that by length of time throuffli natural genera-
tion of men that number should be ma.de up; then
if it had so been, that so soon as after the death
of our Lord, every soul that would have believed
in Him should have been blessed and fully re-
formed by His life, without any further delay,
there would no creature that lived then have
been that would not have received the Faith for
to have been made blessed, and then should
generation have ceased. And so shouJd we
that are now chosen souls living, and other
souls that come after us, not have been bom, and
so should our Lord have failed of Hia number
But that might not be, and therefore our Lord
provided much better for us, in that He delayed
the full reforming of man's soul till the last end,
as St Paul satih ; Gcd providing better for us, that
they should fwi be consummate wUhout i£s. That Is,
our Lord providing better for us in the delaying
of our reforming, than if He had granted it then,
for this reastin, that the chosen souls should not
make a full end without us that come after.
Another reason is this : Since that man in hia
first creation was set in his free will, and had free
choice whether he would have God fully or no, it
was therefore reasonable that since he would not
choose Grod then, but wretchedly fell from Him,
if he should afterwards be reformed, that he should
be set ag'ain in the same free choosing that he
was first in, as whether he would become re-
formed or no. And this may be also a cause why
man's soul was not fully relonned speedily upon
the Passion of Jesus Christ.
I
The Second Book
143
CHAPTER in
That Reforming in part is in two manners, one la
Faich, another in Feeling
Another reforming of this image is in part, and
this may he had in this life^ and if it be not had
in this life, it will never be had, nor the soul ever
come to be saved.
Bui this reforming is on two manners; one
is in Fai(h only, another is in Fatth and in Feel-
ing. The ^irsi suflicelh to salvation, the second
is worthy to have passing- great reward in the
bliss of Heaven. The first may be had easily
and in short time, the second not so, but through
length of time and much spiritual pains. The
first may be had, and yei ihe man may have to-
gether with it the siirrings and feelings of the
image of sin- For though a man feel nothing in
himself but all stirrings of sin and fleshly desires,
notwithstanding those feelings, if he do not volun-
tarily assent thereto, he may be and remain re-
formed in Fatik lo the likeness of God.
But the second putteth out the liking in. and
delight felt in sensual motions and worldly de-
sirCvS, and suffereth no such spots to abide in this
image. The first is only of beginning and profit-
ing souls, and of active men. The second is of
perfpct souls, and of contemplative men. For by
the first reforming the image of sin is not de-
stroyed, but it is left, as it were, all whole in feel-
ing. But the second destroyelh the old feelings
of this image of sin, and bnngeih into the soul
new gracious feelings, through the workings of
the Holy Ghost. The first is good, the second
is better; but the third, that is Jn the bliss ol
144
The Scale of Perfection
Heav&tij is best of all. First let us speak of that
one, and then of Ih^t other, and so we ahall come
to the third.
CHAPTER IV
That ihrough the Sacrament of Baptism (which is
grcunded i;i the PaAsiofi ot Christ) thb Image is
reformed from Original Sin
Two manner of sins make the soul to lose xhe.
image and likeness of God. The one is cafird
Original, that is the first sin ; the other is Actual,
that is committed by our own will. Thet-e two
sins put away a soul from the bliss of Heaven,
and damn it to the endless pains of hell ; unless,
through the grace of God, it be reformed to His
likeness, before it pass hence out of this life.
Nevertheless, two remedies are there agairst
these two sins, by the which a niisshapen soul
may be restored ag-ain. One is the Sacrament
of Baptism against original sin, another is the
Sacrament of Penance against actual sin. A soul
of a child that is bom, as is not christened, by
reason of original sin, hath no likeness f>f God;
he is noug:ht but an image of the fiend, atid a
brand of hHl ; but as soon as it is christened, it
is raformod lo the ima^e of God, and through
the virtue of the faith of holy Church is suddenly
turned from the likeness of the fiend, and made
like an An^^el of Heaven. Also the same falleth
to a yew or to a Turk^ the which before ihey be
christened, are nou^'ht but bondslaves of hell \
but when they forsake their error, and fall hum-
bly to the truth in Christ, and receive th^ baptism
of water in the Holy Ghost, surely without any
further tarrying ihey are reformed to the likeness
The Second Book
MS
of God, 50 fully that the holy Church helieveth
that if presently after baptism they should happen
to die, they should straight fiy up to Heaven with-
out any more letting, though they had before in
the lime of theirurbelief committed never so many
or so great sins : nor should they ever feel the
pains of heL nor of purgatory, and that priviJege
should they have by the merit of Christ's Passion.
CHAPTER V
TKaI through the Sacrament of Penance (that consis'
teth in Contrition, Confession and Saiisfaciion)
thu Imoffc is reformed from Actu^ Sia
Moreover, Christian men or women that have
lost the likeness of God through a deadly sin in
breaking God's commandments, if he through
the touching of grace in his heart doth truly
forsake his sin, with sorrow and contrition of
heart, and be in full purpose to amend and turn
to a good lifei and in this foresaid purpose and
will receiveth the Sacrament of Penance, if he
may come by it^ or if he cannot have a will and
desire to come by it, surely, I say^ that this man
or woman's soul, that was before misshapen to
the likeness of the devil through deadly sin, is
now by the Sacrament of Penance restored and
shapen again to the image of our Lord God,
This is a great courtesy of our Lord, and
an endiess mercy, who so lightly forgiveth all
manner of sin, and so suddenly giveth plenty of
grace to a sinftil soul that askeih mercy of Him.
He requireth not great doing of Penance, nor
painful suffering in the fiesh, before He forgiveth
It, But He requireth a loathing of sin, and a
full forsaldng in the will for love of Him, and
10
a turning of the heart to Him. This He asketh,
for this He giveih. And then when He seeth
this, without any further delay He forgiveth the
sin, and reformeth the soul to His likeness. The
sin is forgiven^ that the soul shall rot be damn-
ed ; nevertheless, the pain due to the sin is not
yet ftiily lorgiven, unless that the contrition and
love be the greater. And therefore shall he go
and ihow himself, and make his confession to his
ghostly Father, and receive the penance which
he enjoineth him for his trespass, and perform it
gladly, so that both the sin and the punishment
may be done awiiy before he pass hence.
Wfrv CrfH- And this is liie wii^e ordinance of holy Church,
/rum- is to the great benefit of man's soul, that though
'*^""'"'J'- the sin be forgiven through the virtue of contri-
tion, nevertht:lesa for the exercise of humility,
and for to make entire satisfaction, he shall (if
he have means for it} show to his priest a pien-'
ary confession ; for that is his token and warrant
against alt his enemies, of the forgiveness of hi»
ftins ; and such a token or warrant will it be need-
ful for him to have. Just as if a man had for-
it^ited his life against a king on earth, it were not
enough for him (as to his full security and dis-
chargej to have only forgiveness of the king,
unless he have a charter from him. which may
be his token and warrant against all other men.
Kight so m^y it be said spirimally, if a man
through deadly sin have forfeited his life against
the King of Heaven, it is not enough for him as
lo his full security) to have forgiveness of God
only by contrition between God and him, unless
he have a charter also made by holy Church (if
he may come by it), and this is the Sacrament
of Penance, which is his charter and token of
forgiveness. For siih it was so, that he had
The Second Book
"47
offended and forfeited both ag^ainst God and His
Church, it is skilful that he have forgiveness
from that one^ and a warrant from thai other.
And this is one cause why Confession is needful.
Another reason is this; That since this re-
fonnirg' of a souJ standeth in Faith only, and
not in Feeling' (tor the forgiveness is only be-
lieved and not feltj therefore a fleshly or sensual
man. that is at first gross and rude in under-
standing, and cannot easily judge and conceive,
but only outward bodily thiiigs, would not easily
have believed thai his sins had been forgiven
him, if he had not received some outward or
bodily token of it, and that is Confession, through
the which token he is made sectire of forgiveness
if he do his part and duty in the business. This
is the belief of holy Church, as I understand it-
Another reason is this: Though the ground of
forgiveness stand not principally in Confession,
but in contrition of the heart, and in detestation
or forethinking of sin ; nevertheless, I believe
that there i& many a soul that would never have
felt true contrition, nor had arrived at forsaking
of sin, if Confession had not been ; for it fallelh
out oftentimes, that in the time of Confession,
grace of compunction comelh to a aoul that be-
fore never fell grace, but ever was cold and dry,
and farther off from feeling of grace< And there-
fore silh Cnnfession wa^ so profitable to the more
party of Christian men, hoiy Church ordained,
for the more security generally to all Christian
men, that every man and woman should once in
the year, at the least, confess all their sins to
their ghostly Father, that come to their mind,
though they had never so much contrition bef-^re
time. NeverthelfSft. I hojae well, that if all men
bad been as careful about the keeping of ihem-
148
The Scale ol Perfection
selves and esdiewing- of all manner of sin ; and
had arrived at as greal knowledge and feeling of
God as some men have, holy Church would not
have ordained the aaid token of Confession as an
obligation, for it had not been needful. But be-
cause all men are not so perfect, and peradventure
much or the greater part of Christians are imper-
fect, therefore holy Church ordained Confession
by way of general obligation, to all Christians
that will acknowledge holy Church as their Mo-
ther, and will be obedient to her laws.
If this be true, as I hope it is, then erreth he
greatly that generally saith that Confession of
sins to the priest is neither necessary nor pro-
fitable, and that no man is bound thereto ; for by
that which I have said, it is both necessary and
profitable lo all those souls who in this wretched
life are defiled with sin, and namely to those who
through deadly sin are misshapen from ihe like-
ness of Godj who cannot be reformed to His like-
ness but by the Sacrament of Penance which
principally standeth in contrition and sorrow of
heart, and .secondarily in confession of moutli
foliowing- after it if it may be had. And thus
through this Sacrament of Penance is a sinful
soul reformed to the image and likeness of God-
But this reforming standeth in Fatth and not
in Feeling. For right as Fatth's propertv is to
believe that which thou seest not, so also is it to
believe that which thou feelest not. For he that
is reformed in his soul by the Sacrament of Pe-
nance to the image of God, feeleth not any change
in himself, neither in his external corporal nature,
nor within in the substance of his soul, other than
he did bpfore. For as to his feeling-, he is as he
was, and feeleth the same stirrings of sin, and the
^ame corruption of his ilesh in hja passions and
The Second Book
149
worldly risings in his heart, as he did before- Yet
he ought lo believe that throug"h grace he ia re-
formed to the image of God, though he neither
feel it nor see it» He may easily feel in himaeif
a sorrow for his sins, and a turning of his will
from sin to cleanness of living-, if he have grace
and take good heed of himself. But he can
neither see nor feel the reforming of his soul,
how it is wonderfully and unperctivably changed
from the foulness of the fiend unto the fairness
jf an Angel, through a secret gracious working
of the Holy Ghost. This cannot he see but only
believe it ; and if he bolievo it, then is his soul
reformed in truth. For right as Holy Church
believeih, a Jew or Samcen^ or a child, by the
Sacrament of Baptism duly administered, to be
reformed in soul 10 the image of God, through
a secret unperceivable working of the Holy Ghcs£t
notwithstanding all the fleshly stirrings of his
body of sin^ which he foeleth, after his Baptism
as well as before; right so, by the Sacrament of
Penance humbly and truly received, a bad Chris-
tian who hath been encumbered with deadly sin
all his lifetime, is reformed within in his soul,
unpf^rceivably, saving that he finds a turning of
his will to God through a secret power, and a
gracious working of the H&iy Ghi^siy which sud-
denly workethj and in a moment or the twink-
ling of an eye, setteth right a froward soul, and
tumeth it from a spiritual foulness to an in-
visible fairness, and maketh her, of a servant
of the fiend, a son of joy ; and of a prisoner of
helli an inheritor of Heaven, notwithstanding
all the fleshly feelings of this sinful image, that
is the corporal nature.
For ihou must know, that the Sacrament of
Baptism or of Penance, is not of that virtue to
ISO
The Scale of Perfection
Tht Sacra-
rnenii vf Btt/'-
tistti uiixi of
Pittance do
nafutUrlydf-
suayanti taiif
away t/ie mo-
tions of thr
I^vm. vli'i,
hinder and destroy utterly all the stirrings of
fleshly lusts and of inordinate passions, that
the soul should never feel any rismga nor stir-
rings of them at any time; for if it were so,
then were a soul fully reformed here to the
dig^nity it had at lis first creation. But that
cannot be fully in this life. But it is of that
virtue, that it cleanseth tlie soul from all sins
before done; and if she, being in that case,
chance to die, it saveth htr from damnation ;
or if it continue in the body, it g-iveth her grace
to withstand the stirrin^a of sin, or of the
passions of the flesh, so tiial be they never so
grievous^ they shall not hurt her, nor separate
her from God, as longf as she doth not willingly
consent thereto. So meant St Paul when he
said thus -.—There ts no ecndcmnation to them that
walk not after (hejiesh. That is, those souls that
are reformed to the ima^e of God by Faiths
through the Sacrament of Baptism or of Pe-
nance, shall not be damned for the feeling of
this imag-e of sin, if so be that they go not after
the motions of sensuality by deed doing.
CHAPTER VI
That we are to believe stcidfastly the reFormin; cF
Lhis Imtige, if our Ci^nscieiicc wilneas to us a full
forsiting of Sin, and a true turning of our Will
10 good living
Of this reforming In Faith speaketli Si Paul in
J/i'f, It, these words i Tin Just man livdh by Fatth. That
is, he that is made righteous by Baptism or Pe-
nance, he liveth by Foitit, which sufficeth to sal-
vation, and also to heiivenly peace, as St Paul
sailh: Being Justified &y Faith^ w£ Iirtve peace
The Second Book
151
with Gad, Tliat is, we that are made righteous
and reformed through Fatih in Christy have
peace and accord made betwixt God and us,
notwithslandirg the vicious motions of our body
of sin. For thouj^h this reforming be secrtl,
and cannot well be felt here in this life, never-
theless whoso stedfastly believeth it, and is care-
ul to shape his life accordingly, and turns not
again la deadly sin, surely when the hour of
death Cometh, and the soul is departed, then
shall he find that true which I say now. S£ John
in comfort of chosen souls that live here in Faith
under the feeling of this painful imag'e, saiih
thus ; Littie childmi^ fW7v ari? we ttte sons of God, 1 A^"
and ii app€areih not wliai we shall he ; but we hnaoj
thai-mhcii Christ shall ap^EQT, wt shall also appfur
like Him- in glory^ That is, we are now, whilst
we live here, the sons of God, for we are reformed
by J^aith in Christ to His likeness, but it appear-
eth not plainly what we are, but it is kept secret.
Nevertheless, we know well, that when our Lord
shall appear at the last day, then shall we appear
with Him, like to Him in glory.
If then^ thou wouldst know if thy soul be re-
formed to the Image of God or no, thou mayeht
be resolved by that which I have said, ransack ^o^/ *e'rfl
thy conscience and look what thy will is, for /ur*«£
therein consisteth the whole business. If it be
turned from all manner of deadly sin, so that
thou wouldst not for all the world wittingly and
wilfully break the commandments of God ; and
for what thou hast done amiss heretofore con-
trary to His bidding, hast humbly made thy
confession, with full intent to leave it, and art
sorry that thou didst it ; I say then, surely that
thy soul is reformed in FtiitA to the likeness
uf God,
w.i*' /i'i'! out
"SL'Udhfr flit
rr
152
The Scale of Perfection
CHAPTER Vn
TliAt all the Souls tliat live humbly in tlie Failli of
Holy Church, and hiv* theip Faith enlivened wirh
Lots and Charily^ be reformed by this Sacrament,
ihougli it be ao ihat ihcv caiinot feel llic special
ffift of Devotion or of spiritiial leelins
In this reforming', which is only in Faith, the
most part of chosen souls lead their lives, setting-
their wills Btedfastly to flee all manner of deadly
sin, and keeping themselves in love and charity
lo their neighbour, and keeping- the command-
ments of God according to their knowledge.
And when it is so that wicked stirrings and evU
desires of pride* envy, wrath or luxury, or of any
other capital sin rise in their hearts, they resist
and strive against them, by being- displeased ac
them in their will, so that they follow not those
wicked motions in their lieeds; and if through
frailty they fall, as it were atjainst their will, and
through ignorance, Iheir conscience soon after
so ^eveth and paineth them for it, that they
can lake no rest till they have made their con-
fession, and had absolution for it.
Surtly all these souls that thus live in this
state of reforming, ani be found therein at the
hour of their death, shall be saved, and shall
come to a full reforming in the bliss of Heaven
though it were so, that they never had spiritual
feeling, nor inward taste of devotion, tior any
special gift of grace of sweetness or comfort in
all their lifetime. For if thou shouldst say,
that no -soul shall be saved, unless she were here
reformed in spiritual feeling", so that she hath felt
devotion and spinlual sweetnej^s in God, as some
The Second Book
<53
souls through special ^ace have done; then
should "very few souls be saved, ia comparison
of the muUitude of the oihen
Nay, it is not so to be supposed, that only for
the souls that have had such extraordinary de-
votion, or have throu^-'h great grace come to a
spiritual feeling, and for no more, our Lord Jesus
should have taken upon Hiro the nature of man,
and suffered the bitcer passion of His death. It
had been such a small purchase for Him to have
come from so far to so near, and trom so high to so
IoWt for so few souls ; no, His mercy is spread
larger than so> But on the contrarj-, if thou
imaginest the Passion of our Lord lo be so
precious, and His mercy so great, that there
shall no soul be damned, and namelv, no
Christian, do he never so wickedly, as some
fools do imagine, surely thou errest greally.
Go, therefore, in the middle way, and hold
thee there, and believe a5 holy Church beJiev-
eth, and that is, that the most sinful man that
liveth on earth, if through grace he turn his
will from deadly sin by true repentance to the
service of God, ho is reformed in his soul, and
if he die in this state, he shall be saved. Thus
hath our Lord promised by His Prcphe!, saying:
At what tintc soever a stnner shali he convcrhdt
and sorry for his stnSj he shall itve, and no! die.
And on the other side, whoso hveth in deadly
sin, and wiU not leave it, nor amend him thereof,
nor receive the Sacrament of Penance, or else
if be receive it, lakelh it not truly, for the love
of God (that is^ for the love of virtue and clean-
ness, but only for dread or shame of the world,
or only for fear of the pains of hell), he is not
reformed to the image of God, and if he die
m that stale, he shall not be saved, bis Paifh
154
The Scale of Perfection
shall not save him, for it is but a dead falthj
because it lacketli love, and thcnsbre it will
noi serve his lurn. But they that have Fatih
quickened with love and charity, though il be
but the least degree of chanty, as are simple
souls who feel not the gift of special devotion,
nor ha^e spiritual knowledge or feeling of God,
as some spiritual men have, but beli'*ve in
general as holy Church believeth, though they
know "ot fully what that i;; (for it is not neces-
sary tiiat they should know so tully), but in that
belief keep ihemseU'es in lo^e and charitj^ to
their neighbour as well as they can, and eschew
all deadly sin according to their best skill, and
do deeds of mercy to their neighbours ; all these
belong to the bliss of Heaven, tor thus is it
written in the Apocalypse \ Ye that fear Gad^ h^Ut
great afid smtiHy praisA Him. By gre^tt ones are
understood souls that are profiting in grace, or
that are perfect in the love of God, which are
reformed in spiritual feeling. By smali^ imper-
fect souls of worldly men and women, and ethers
that have but a childish knowledge of God, and
full little feeling of Him, bui are brought forih in
the bosom of holy Church, and nourished with
the Sacraments, as children are fed with miik.
All these ought to love God, and thank Him for
the salvation of their souls, which proceedeth
from His endless mercy and goodness- For
holy Church, which is mother of all these, and
beareth tender love to all her gho&lly children,
prayeth and asketh for them all tenderly of her
Spouse, that is of Jesus, and getteth Ihcm health
of soul through virtue of His Passion ; and
namely for them that cannot speak for them-
selves by spiritual prayer for their need.
Thus I tind jn the Gospel that the woman
The Second Book
155
of Canaan asked of our Lord health for her
daughter that was troubled with the fiend;
and our I-ord at first made dainty of the
matter, because she was an alien. Neverthe-
less she ceased not to cry till our Lord had
granted her asking, and said to her thus: O
•wo^man, great is thy faith, be it unto thtc as thou
Tuilt. In the same hour Toas her daughiir mads
whoU^ This woman betokeneth holy Church,
that asketh help of our Lord for simple igno-
rant souls, that are encumbered with tempta-
tions of the world, and cannot speak perfectly
to God by fervour of devotion^ hot by burning
love in Conkmptaiimt. And though our Lord
seemeth to make dainty at first, because they
are, as it were, aliened from Him, nevertheless,
for the great faith and desert of holy Cliurcb,
He granted to her all that she wilh And ior
these simple souls that believe stedfaslly as
holy Church believeth, and put themselves
wholly upon the mercy of God, and submit
themselves under the Sacraments and Laws of
holy Church, are saved through the prayers
and faith of their holy Mother the Church,
CHAPTER VIII
That Soub reformed need ever I0 fight and strive
agdirs[ the Motions of Sin while they live here.
And how a Soul may know when she assfnufh
to theae Motions, and when not
This reforming in Faiih is easily gottenj but it is
not so easily held. And, therefore^ that man or
woman that is reformed to the likeness of God in
/tfiM, must use much labour and diligence, if
they win keep this image whole and clean, that
156
The Scale of Perfection
it fait not down again through weakness of will
to the imag-e of sin. He may not be idle or care ■
less; for the image of sin is so near fastened
unto him, and so coniinually presseth upon him
by divers stirrings of sin, that unless he be very
wary, he shall very easily through consent fall
agam thereto. And, therefore, he needeth to be
ever striving and fighting against the wicked
Blirringof this image of sin, and that he make no
accord with them, nor have friendship with them,
to be pliable to their unlawful biddings, for in so
doing he beguilelh himself. But veniy if he
strive with them, he need not he much afraid of
consenting: for striving breaketh peace and false
accord. It ii good indeed that a man have peace
with all thinj^'s, save with the fiend and this
image of sin» for agaiii-'^t them ought he ever to
fight In his thoughts and in his deeds, till he hath
gotten the mastery, which will never be fully in
this life, as long as he beareth and feeleth this
image, I say not but that a soul maj', through
grace, have the upper hand of this image, so far
that he will not follow nor assent to the inordinaie
motions of it. but to be clean delivered from it, so
that he shall feel no suggestions nor jangling of
fleshly affections or of vain thoughts at any time^
that can no man come to in this life.
I trow that a soul that is reformed in feeling,
by ravishing of love in contemplation of God,
may be far from the sensualitj' and from vain
imaginations, and so far drawn out and parted
from the fleshly motion*; for a time, that she shall
feel nothing but God ; but such a case lasteth not
always. And, therefore, I say, that every man
ought to strive against this imape of sin, and
namely he that is reformed in faith only, who
deceived
may
■ly
by
The Second Book
157
person of which men St Paul saith ; The /iesh Cal v,
lustcth against ihc spirit, and the spirit against Ike
fksh. That is, a soul reformed to the liiceness of
God hghteth against the sensual motions of the
image of sin, and also this image of sin. fighteth
against the will of the spirit.
TTiis Iciiid of fighting between these two
several images St Paul knew and felt, when he
said thus ; / find a ttrur in my numbers fighting ^f'^. vli,
iigaifist (he law of fny mivd, and lending me captive
to the law fff s%n. By these Iwo laws in a soul
I understand this double image: by the law of
the spirit I understand the reason of the soul,
when it is reformed to the image of fiod ; by the
law of the flesh I understand the sensuality,
which I call the image of sin- in the.se two 3aws
a soul reformed leads his life ; as St Paul saith in
these words: iViih my mind I serve ttu iaw 0/
God, hul tPith theflish the lam of sin.
Nevertheless, that a soul reformed should not
despair though she ser/e the law of sin by feeling
of the vicious sensuality against the wiU of the
spirit, because of the corruption of corporal
nature. Si Paul excuseth lE^ saying thus of his
own person : For *tot that good thai I woutd^ do /,
hut t?ie evil that I hate t^mt I do : but if I do the
evil that I hale, it is not I thut loorkafh it^ hut sin
that dwilkth in ute. That is, 1 would feel no
fleshly stirrings, but that do I noi> but the sinful
stirringfs of my flesh 1 hate, and yet I feel them,
Nevenheless, since it is so that I have the wicked
stirrings of my flesh, and yet I feei them and oft
delight in them against my will, they shall not
be laid to my charge to my condemnation, as if
I had done them. And why^ For the corrup-
tion of this image of sin doth them, and not L
Lo St Paul in his own person comforteth all
158
The Scale of Perfection
rings ofstH
ftfch fibt
souls that tlirough grace are reformed in Failh,
thai they should not too much dread the burthen
of this image with the inordinate motions thereof^
if it be so that they do not \inlling]y ami deliber-
ately yield thereto. Yet in this point, many
souls that are reformed in truth, are ofttinies
much tormented and troubled in vain, as thus r
When they have felt fleshly motion of pride, or of
Gn\-y^ of covetousness or luxury, or of any other
chief sin, they knowr not whether they consent
thereto or no, and it is no gjeat wonder ; for in
time of tomptation frail man's thoughts are so
troubled and so overlaid that he hath no clear
sight nor freedom of himself, but is overtaken
often with liking unvvanly, and so that liking
passeth perhaps a good while withm him ere he
will perceive it, and, therefore, falleth sometime
in doubt and dread whether they sinned in time
of Itmptation or no.
As to this point I say, as melhinketh, that a
soul may discern by this means whether he con-
sent or no. If it be so that he is moved or
tempted to any kind of sin, and the liking of it is
so great in his fleshly feeling that it troublelh his
reason J an J, as it were, with mastery possesseth
the affection of his soul, and yet he restraineth
hiTnsdr> that he performeth not the sin in deed,
nay, nor would not if he mighty but is rather
pained to feel the liking of that sin, and fain
would put it away if he could; and when that
stirring is over, is glad and well repaid that he is
delivered from it; by this may he gather, that
were the liking never so great in his fleshly
Feeling, yet he consejited nor sinned, not especially
mortally in the business.
Nevertheless, a good and secure remedy it
souls
simpi*
ig
nnd cannot help it, that they be not too bold ia
them.selvp.s, utterly weening that such fleshly Anii rtt not
stirrings with liking are no sms at all, for so they i"^!'''^
may fall into carelessness and a false security. '^^
Neither on the other side that they be too fearful^
or foolish, as to deem them all as deadly sins, or
as great venials ; for neither is true, but that he
hold them all as sins and wretchedness, and that
he have sorrow for them, and be not too busy in
judging them eitlier deadly or venial. But if his
conscience be greatly grieved, that he g-o speedily,
and show to his Confessor in general or in special
such stirrings, and, namely, every stirring that
beginneth to fasten any root in the heart, and
most possesseth it, for to draw it down to sin and
worldly vanity. And when he bath thus con-
fessed in general or in particular, let him assur-
edly believe that they be forgiven, and dispute
no more about them that are passed and for-
given, whether they were mortal or venial. But
let him be the more careful to cany himself
better against such as shall afterwards arise.
And if be do so^ then may he come to have quiet
in his conscience. Bui some are so unwise and
BO gross ihat they would feel or see, or hear the
forgiveness of their sins, as clearly ami palpably
as they might sec or feel a bodily thing; and
because they cannot, therefore they fall oft into
such fears and doubts of themselves, and never
come to rest; and in that they are unwise, for
Faith goeth before feeling.
Our Lord^ when He healed a man sick of the
palsy, said thus to blm ■ Tritsf fmy son) t/tfii £hy
srus ate fcrgimn tlue; that is, believe stcdfastly.
He :^aid not to him. See, feel, how that thy sins
are forgiven (for the forgiveness of sins is done
spiritually and invisibly, through the grace of
i6o
The Scale of Perfection
the Holy Ghost) but helium it. On the same
manner, every one that desireth to have peace of
conscience, it behoveth him (having iJone what
lay in his power) to believe without spiritual
feeling and forgiveness of his sins. And if at
first he believe it, he shall afterward, through
grace, feel it and understand it that it is so.
Thus said the ApoatU : Unless ye beliei^e, ye shall
nof understand. Faith goeth hiefore, and under-
standing Cometh after, and this understanding
(which I call Che light of grace that cometh from
God] a soul cannot have but through great clean-
SiMflf.w "^s, as our Lord saith r BUssed are the pure in
heart-, far th^y shall sea Ged, Not with their
fleshly eye, but their inward eye, that is, their
understanding, cleaned and enlightened through
grace of the Holy Ghost» to see the truth ; the
which cleanness a soul cannot feel, unle&s she
have firm faith and belief going before, as the
Apostle saith f By faith^ purifying the heart;
that is, our Lord through faith cleanseth the
hearts ofHii chosen. It is necessary, therefore,
that a soul first believe in the reforming of him-
self made through the Sacrament of Penance,
though she see it not ; and that he dispose him-
self fiiUy to live righteously and \'irtaou£ly, as
his Faith requireth ; so that afterward he nay
come to stghlt and to the reforming in feeling.
CHAPTER DC
Thai this Image is both fair aad foul whilst it is in
this Life here, though it be reformed i and o£ the
Differences of the secret Feelings of those [hat be
reformed and these that be not
Fair is a man's soul, and foul is a man's soul.
Fair, inasmuch as it is reformed in faith to the
The Second Book
i6t
likeness of God. But foul, inosmucli aa it is
mingled with sensual feelings and inordinate
motions of this image of siun Foul it is without,
like a beast; fair within, like an Angel. Fou.1 in
the feeling- of sensuality, fair in truth of reason-
Foul for the fleshly appetites, fair for the good
will. Thus is a chosen soul both fair and foul,
according to the aaying of Holy Writ; / am
bltukj but btfaniifulj O dou^fU^s of ycrus'ilem, as Canf, U
/A^ tcnis of Kcdar^ and as me curiaitts of Salomon.
That is, O ye Angels of Heaven, that are
daughters of the high Jsrusalem., wonder not at
me, nor despise me for my black shadow. For
thouf^h I be black without, because of my fleshly
nature, as the tents of Kedar^ yet am I full fair
within, aa the curtains of Saiamim, in that I am
reformed to the image of God, By Kedttr is
understood a reprobate soul, which is the tent of
the deviL By Sohm&n is understood our Lord
Je5U5^ for He is peace, or peaceable. By the
curtain of Solomon is understood a blessed Angel,
in whom our Lord dweUcth, and is hid in him.
Now may a chosen soul with humble trust in
God, and joy of heart, say thus : Though I be
black, because of my body of hln, like a reprobate
soul, that is one of the tabernacles of the fiend;
yet within am I fair fthrough faith and good will)
like an Angel of Heaven. For so saiih he in
another place: L^k net upon me, bccaitse that I am Otnl. L
blacky for thai iht sun hath altittd -my colmir. The
sun maketh a skin swarth only without and not
within ; and it betokeneth this fleshly life. There-
fore thus saith die chosen soul: Rebuke me not
because I am swarth, for the swartness I have
is all without, by the touching nnd carrying
aboiit me this image of sin; but it is nothing
within. And, thereiorej sooLhJy though it be &o
II
l62
The Scale of Perfection
nnreforniFtf.
that s. chosen soul, reformed in faith> dwell in
this body of sin, atid feel the same fleshly stir-
ringfs, and uae the same bodily works, as doth
a labernacle of Kedar so f.ar forth that in man's
judgement there be no difference betwixt the one
and ihe other, yet wiihio in their souls^ and in
the sight of God there is a full great difference,'
But to know tills, which is the OLie, and which is
th% other^ is only kept to God ; for it passeth
man's judgement and man's feeling. And. there^
fore, we ought not to judgre any man evil, for that
thing that may be used both evil and wc]L
HimUdh- A soul that is not reformed is so fully taken
_ f^'^-^^f^ up with the love of the world, and so much over-
mothns a/ i^-id With the liking of his flesh in all his seiiiu-
iiis/infAe ality, that he chooseth it as a full rest of his
"{^^J!^j heart, and in the secret desires thereof nothing
else would he have, but only tliat he miyht ever
be sure thereof; he feeleth within him no liquor
of grace, moving him to loathe his fleshly lif*?,
nor to desire Hea\'cn or bliss. And, therefore,
we may say tliat he bearhth not this imago of
sin^ but is borne of it ; like a man that is sick
and so weak that he cannot bear himself, and,
therefore, is laid on a bed, and borne in a litter.
Right 3o» such a sinful soul is 50 weak and impo-
tent, for lack of grace, that he can neither move
hand nor loot to do any good deed, nor to resist
(by displeasing of wl]}J the least motion of sin,
when it cometh, but falls down thereto, just like
B beast upon carrion, IJut a soul that is re-
formed, though he use his fleshly senses and feel
fleshly stirrings, yet he loatheth them in his
heart, for he would not for any good rest in Ihem
fully, but lleeth any such rest in them, as the
biting of an adder, and had rather have his rest
and the love of his heart in God^ if he could ; and
Twining.
The Second Book
163
sometimes actually aspireth thereto, ant] often
gniclgcth at ihe fleeing of the pleasures of ihis
life, tor love of the life everlasting'. This soul is
not borne by this image of sin, like a sick man,
thou^'h be feel it ; but he beareth it, for throuffH
grace he is made mighty and strong to auffer
and bear his body, with all the evil stirrings of it,
witliout hurling or defiling himself, inasmuch as
he loveth tlieni not, nor follovveth them, nor con-
senteLh to deadly sins, as another doth.
This was bodily fulfilled in the Gospel by &
man aiek uf the palsy, who was so feeble that
lie could not go> and thereforo was laid and
borne in a iitteri and brought to our Lord : and
when he saw hira in that misery, of His goodness
He said to him i Arise, and take up thy hd, andg^o Sf/ohnr,
howe to thy house; and so he did, and was whole.
And soothly, n^ht as this man bare upon his
bacL% when he WlIS made w'hcj!e, the bed that
before bare him : right so it may be said in the
spiritual sense, that a soul, reformed in faith,
beareth this image of sin, which bare him before.
And therefore be not too much adread of thy
blackness that thou ha&t bv bearing of this image
of sin i but only for the shame of the discomfort
that tluju hast from the behijldmg of it, and also
for the upbraidlog that thou feelest in thy heart
of ihy ghostly enemies, when they say to thee
thus: Wfu-7£ is thy Lord Jesus t IVJiat seekcst
t/iott? IV/urc is the fdinu'ss that thou spcakest off
Wlmt fcrft'si iho^t etse hf-t ti/n/d^i-ss of sin f JVhfre
is that image of God, that (hou s<tyi-st is reformed in
thtcf Comfort thyself, and be faithful sttifly, as
1 said before, and if ihou ilo so, thou shall, by
tliis faith, destroy all the lenii)Lations of thy
enemies. Thus saith -S"//*.;///; J'cke urifo you fhr; f^^/nrs. vi.
bncktcr of f'titk^ -^ith zvhirh ihott shait be abte A;
qiiemh ait the bnrmng ddrts of Ike enemy.
164
The Scale of Perfection
CHAPTER X
Of three aorta ci Men, wlifwof same be not rrfcrmed,
and RCirm be reformed only in FiiiL, aud soMe
bclh 10 F^ilb and F»Uns
By that wliich T have said, thou raayest perceive,
that according to the divers parts of the soul are
divers states of men. Some are reformed to the
likeness of Crod, and some are not ; and some are
reformed only in faith, and some both in faith
and feeling. For thou must understand that a
soul hath two parts. The one is called scnau-
aiity, and that is fleshly feeling by the five out-
ward senses, which is common to man with
beasts; of the which sensuality, when it ia un-
skilfiilly and inordinately ruled, is made up the
image of sin » That is, when it is not ruled after
reason, for then is the sensuality sin- The other
part is called reason ; and that is parted also into
two, into the superior and inf^^rior part. The
superior part is likened to a man, for it should ba
master and sovereign, and that is property the
image of God, for by that only the soul tnoweth
God, and loveth Kim. And the inferior is likened
to a woman, for it should be obedient to the other
part of reason, as woman is subject to man. And
thb consisteth in the knowing and ruling of
earthly things, for to use them discreetly accord-
ing as we have need of them, and to refuse them
when we have no need of them, and to have ever
with it an eye upwards towards the superior part
of reason with dread and reverence, to follow and
be guided by it.
Now may I say, that a soul that liveth afler
the likings and lusts of his ficsh, is, as it w^e^ &
The Second Book
i6s
u
brute beast; and neither hath knowledge of God
nor desire of virtues, nor of good livings but is all
blinded in pride, fretted with envy, overlaid with
covetousness, defiled with lechery, and other
great sins^ is not reformed to the likeness of God;
for it lieth and resteih fully in the image of sin,
that is, in sensualilVn Another soul, that feareth
God, and resistelh dttadly stirrings of the sensual
part, and foUoweth them not but Uveih according
CO reason in ruling and ordering of worldly
things, and setteth his intent and his will for to
plca50 God by his outward works, ia reformed to
the likeness of God in faith ; and though he feel
the same stirrings of ain as the other doth, they
shall not disease him, for lie restetb not in them
as the other doth. But another soul, that through
grace fieeth a!I deadly stirrings of sensuality, and
all venials also, so far forth that he feeleth them
not, keeping under the very first risings, ia
reformed in feeling; for hefolloweth and is led by
the superior part of reason, and this he doth
by the beholding of God and spiritual things, as
I shall tell thee afterwards.
CHAPTER XI
How Men tl^at abide and five in Sia^ misshape tKem-
selves into tkc likeness d£ divers Beasts, and theylt^c
called the Lovers of the World
A WRETCHED man is he then that knoweth not
the worthiness of his soul, nor will know it, how
it is the most worthy creature that ever God
made, except an angel, to whom yet it is like;
high above all others, the which nothing can
satisfy as its full rest» but only God. And there-
fore should he not love nor like anything, but
i66
The Scale of Perfection
Ilim only, nor cov*t nor soek anything^, but how
he m^y be rtf-nrmed to Mis imat^^e; for he know-
eth not lhb» therefore seeketh he and coveteth
.his rest and Ms liking: outwardly in bndily crea-
tures that are worse than himsolf. Unnaturally
doth he, and unreasoniLblv» that leavetli the sove-
reign Good and everlasting Life (which is God)
unsought and unloved, unknown and un wor-
shipped, and chooseth his rest and his bliss in
the fading delight of an earthly thing. And yet
thus do all the lovers of this world, that have
their joy and their bliss in this wretched life.
Some have it in prtde and vain glory of them-
selves, that when they have lost the fear of God
they travail and study night and day how they
may come to the worship and praise of ths world,
and care not by what means they come thereto*
and surpass all other men, either in learning or
any other skill, in name or in frime, in riches or
in respect, in sovereignty and mastership. Some
men have llieir rest in riches, and in outrageous
jfetting' of worldly goods, and set their hearts so
fully to get them, that they seek nothing else but
how they may come thereto. Some have their
liking in fleshly lusts of gluttony and lechery,
and other bodily uncleanness, and some in one
tbing, and some in another.
Tfif proud And thus wretchedly these that do thus, mis-
tutHfdt^^fji shape themselves from ihc worthiness of a man,
and turn themselves into the likeness of divi^rs
beasts. A proud man is turned into a lion, for
pride ; for he would he feared and worshipped by
all, and that none should withstand the fulfilling
of his fleshly will, neither in word nor deed. And
if any one contradict his proud will, he becometh
anjjry and wroth, and would revenge himself* on
* Wrakca of kim.
a Hon.
LC Second Book
167
him, as a Hon wreaketh himself en a little beast-
He ilitit doth this is not a man, for he doth un-
raturally and unreasonably against the kind ot
a man, and :^o b turned find transformed into
a lion.
Envious and an^ry men arc turned into
hounds, through wrath and envy, that barkt;th
against his neighbour, and bileih him by wicked
and malicious words, and with wrongful deeds
grieveih them that have not trespassed against
hira, harming them both in body and soul, con-
trary to God's bifldiiig.
Some men are misshapen into asses, that are
slo'.v to the service of God, and evil willed to do
any good deed to their neignbour. They are
ready enough to run for worldly profit, and for
earthly honour or for pleasing of earthly man.
But for procuring reward in heaven, for helping
of their own souls, or for the worship of God,
they are soon weary, they have no list thereto ;
and if they must go ^ibout any ^uch thing, they
go but slowlv and with an unwilling mind.
Some are turnt:'d into swine, for they are so
blind in th^^ir understandings and so brutish in
their manners that they have no fear of God,
but follow only the lusts and likings of the flesh,
and have no regard to the virtues and honesty
beseeming the noble nature of man, nor to order
themselves according to the rules of right reason,
nor to refrain the unreasonable motions of sen-
sual nature, hul as soon as a fleshly or sensual
motion of sin riseth within them, they are ready
to fall down thereto, and follow it as swine-
Some m**n are turned into wolves, that live
by ravening; as bad covetous men do that,
tlirrjijjjh violt'nct? or might, rob or deceive theJr
nei^idiours of their worldly goods; and some
T/ie rn iri'oits
fittJ aagry
into ttises-
into mint.
i68
The Scale of Perfection
Ap&e. xsi.
are turned into foxes, as false and deceiving
people that live in treachery and guile.
Ail these and many more, lha.1 live not in
the fear of God, but break lli5 commandments,
transform themselves from the likeness of God,
and make ihemselvea like beasts^ yea and worse
than beastSi for they are like to the fiend of helL
And therefore verily Ihcse men that live thus, if
they be not reformed when the hour of death
Cometh and their souls part from their bodies,
then shall their eyes be opened, which are now
blinded with sin, and then shall they find and
feel the torment of their wretchedness that they
lived in here. And, forasmuch as the image of
God was not reformed through the Sacrament of
Penance in them neither in faith nor feeling- here
in this life, they shall be cast out from the blessed
face of our Creator as cursed, and shall be con-
demned with the devil into the depth of hell, there
to remain for ever. Thus aaith St John in the
Apifcafypse: T)ie /ear /id and un believers, thEcurudy
murder£rs, fomicatorSy sorcerers, tdolalers, and till
iha£ Jove and mak£ a lie. their for Hon sfiall be in the
pit thnt burns with fin and hnmstime. If the lovers
of thi3 world would often think of this, how all
this world shall pass away, and draw to an end,
and how that all wicked love shall be most
severely punished* they would in a short time
loathe all vorldly lusts which they now lake
most delight in, and would lift up their hearts
to love God, and would carefully seek and labour
how they might be reformed to His likeness ere
they pass hence.
The Second Book
169
CHAPTER XU
SECTION I
How Lov^fs of this World in divers -ways disenable
themsdrea irora becoming reformed in their Soub
But some wow will say tbus : I would fain love
God, and be a g-ood man^ and forsake the love of
the world if I might ; bat I have not grace for it.
If I had the same grace that a good man hath,
1 should do as he doth ; but because 1 have it
not, I cannot, and so I need* seek to do no more,
but am excused.
Unto these men I answer thus : True it is as
they say, that they have no grace, and therefore
they lie still in their sin, and cannot rise out.
But that avail^th them not before God, for it is
their own fault. They discnable themselves in
divers ways, so that the light of grace cannot
shine into them, nor rest in their hearts. For
some are so froward that they will not have
grace, nor be good men at all ; for that they
know well, if they should turn good men* they
must part with the great liking' and lust of this
world, which they have in earthly things ; but
that they will not do> for they think they are
so sweet that they will not part with them.
And they must also do works of penance, as
fasling-j watching, praying and many other
good works, in chastising of theii fi&sh and la
withdrawing of their fleshly will, and these may
they not do, for they seem so sharp and so
terrible to their thinking, that they shrinkf and
loathe to think upon them, and so they cowardly
and wretchedly still dwell in their sins.
* It ia lo mc lu wyit no ojore, t U|;giBa
£70
The Scale of Perfection
Some woulci seem desirous of grace, and
beglo to dispose themselves for it, but iheir will
is exceedingly weak, for as soon as any slirnng
oFsin Cometh, though it be contrary to the com-
mand of God, they tall presently thereto, for they
are (through former cui^tom of often falling and
assenting' lo ,sinj *^o as it were bound and tied to
sin, that they think it impossible to withstand it;
and so their imagined difiicuky of being- able to
make such resistant^e maketh their will weak,
and smiteth it down again.
Some also feel the stirrings of grace, as when
they have bittngs of conscience for Iheir evil
living, and motions to leEive it, but it seems so
painful and grievous to them that they will nf»t
suffer it nor abide It, but fly from it and furgift it
if they can, so that they run to seek comfort and
contentment outwardly, at such times, in fleshly
creatures, to the end Cliat they may not feel such
pangs of conscience within tlieir souls, And
moreover some men are so blind and so brutish
that they think there is no other life but this ; nay,
that there is nn soul other than of a beast, and
that the soul of a man dielh ivith the body as the
soul of a beast ; and therefore they say : Let ua
eat and drink and make merry here, for of this
life we are iccure, we see no other heaven.
Verily such are some wretches that say thus
in their hearts thoiifi:h they say it cot with their
mouths. Of which men the Prophd saith thus;
The f9ot hoth said in hts heart there is no Gixl.
iiuch (1 fool is everv one that loveth or Hveth
in sir^ and chooseth the love of the world as the
rest of his soul ; he saith there is no God, not
with his mouth, for he will speak of Him some-
times, when the world g"oes well with him, as it
wtre in reverence of Him, saying; Blessed be
The Second Book
171
God, And sometimes in despite, when he is
angry against God or his neighbour and swt'ar-
eth by his blessed body or any of his members*
But he saith in his thoug-hta that there is no
God, and tliai is because he imagineth that God
seeth not his sin, or that He ^\'ill not puni&h 11 so
severely tis tlie Scrjpiurf; saiih ; or that He will
forgive hitn his sin though He see it ; or else that
there shall no Christian be damned, do he never
so ill. Or else, if he fasts the fasts of our Lady,
or say every day so many prayers, or hear every
day two or three T^lasses, or do some bodily
work, as it wore for the honour of God, he
thinketh he shall never go to hell, do he never so
much sin, and continue in it^ This man saith in
his lieart that there is no God, but is unwise,
as the Prophet salth, for be shall one day find
and feel in torments that He is a Uod whom
he forgot and set at nought; but set by the
wealth of the world, as the Prophet saith : Pain J*r, xxviiL
on!y vnll give, undtrsfiriding. For he that know-
c;h not this here, nor will know itj shall know it
well when be U in torments.
SECTION n
A little Counsel how Lovei^ of this World should do,
\i they will be reformed in tlieir Souls before ihdr
depart ur<: hence
ri[E5E men, though they know well that they
are out of grace, and in deadly sin, they have
no care nor sorrow nor thought therefore, but give
themselves to sensual mirth and worldly solace
as much as they can. And the farther they
be from grace the more mirih they make, and
perchance some of them hold themselves well
apaid that they have no grace, that they may
V]2
The Scale of Perfection
as it were the mora fully and freely follow the
liking of fleshly lusta as thoug*h God were
asleep and did not see them. And this 13 one
of the greatest faults that can be. And thus,
by their own perv er.seness, they stop the light
of grace from their own soul, that it may not
rest therein. The which grace, for its part^ is
most willing and ready to shire to all creatures,
and enter into the souls of men, that will but
be willing to receive it, even as the sun shineth
upon all creatures bodily, where it ia not
hindered. Thus saith S£ yohn in the Gospel:
St/ohmt The light shweth in darknss^^ end the darkness
comprehenddh iittof. That is, these blind hearts
receive rot the gracious light, nor have the bene-
fit of it, but even as a biind man is bccompassed
with the light oF the sun when he standeth in
it, and yet seeth it not, nor recciveth any benefit
of It, as for goln^^ or walking, or working by
it. Even fio, spiritually, a soul blinded with
deadly sin Is all encompassed with thia spiritual
light, and yet he is never the better, for he is
blinded, and will not see nor know his blindness,
and this i^ one of the greatest impediments of
grace, that a man so wretched will not, by ressOQ
of his pride, be nknown of his blindness ; or else,
if he know it, careth not for it, but maketh
merry, as if he were very secure and safe.
Therefore, unto alt these men ihac are thus
blinded and bound with the love of this world,
and are fallen from the natural fairness of man,
and are become misshapen, I say and counsel
that they would think on their souls, and dis-
pose themselves for grace as much as they
can ; which they may do on this %vise, if they
will, when they find themselves out of a state
of grace, and overlaid with deadly sin, let them
The Second Book ^ I73
first think with themselves what a miserable
and dangerous thing- it is to be out of the state
of grace and separated from G-od ; for there
is nothing' that holdetb them from falling into
the pit of heU presently^ save the bare sing-le
thread of this bodily life, whereby they hang ;
and what may more easily be broken in two
than a single thread f For, were the breath
stopped in their body (and that may t-asrly hap-
pen] their soul ^Yould pre^sently pass oi:tj and
would instantly be in hell, there to rtmain ever-
lastingly. And if they would but thus think
with themselves for some lime, they would shake
and tremble at the righteous judgements of God
and at His severe punishing- of sins^ and they
would begin to grieve a.nd sorrow for their sins,
and for their want of God's grace and favour,
and tlien would they cry and pray that they
might have grace, and if they did thus, then
vould grace enter in and put out darkness and
hardness of heart and weakness of their will,
and give them might and strength to forsake
the false Jove of thi»i world, so far at least
as it is deadly sin ; for there is no soul so far
from God through wilfulness of deadly sin
(I except none that Hveth in this body of sin)
that may not, through grace, become righteous,
and be restored to cleanness of living, if he will
but bow and submit his will to GoJ with hu-
mility, for to amend his life, and heartily aslc
grace and forgiveness of Himj and excuse our
Lord and wholly accuse himself. For holy
Writ saith : / wr7i not, saiih the LorJ^ the death
of a simtCTt hid raiher thai ht he converted and live, ff*rr. ranlTL
for our Lord's will is that the most froward man
that liveth, and who through sin is misshapen
in soul, if he will but change his will and ask
grace, may be reformed to His likeneea.
174
The Scale of Perfeclion
PART I-CHAPTER 1
Of ReforminB ia Faitt and Feeling also— Tbal this
Reforming cannot bf suddenly goncn, but in
kngth of Tim*, by Grice, and much SpiriluaJ
and Corporal Industry
Thk T^*forniing in Faith, which I have before
treated of, may easily be gotten. But after this
Cometh reforming in FatCk and Pech/tg^, which
will not easily be gotten, but by much pains and
industry. For reforming in Faith is conimoo to
all chosen souls, though they be in the lowest
degree of chanty- Btit reiorming in Feeling is
onJy in tho^e souls that are coming- to the state
of perfection, and that canrol be attained unto
suddenly, but after great plenty of grace, and
much and long spiritual exercising'i and thereby
shall a man attain thereto, and thai will be after
that he is flrst healed of his spiritual sickness,
and after that all bitlcr passions and tleshly lusts
and otber old feelings are burnt ouc of the heart
by the lire of desire ; and new gracious feelings
are brought in with burning love and spiriiual
light. Then doth the soul draw very near to
perfection, and to reforming in feeling.
And here it is no otherwise then, as when
a man through bodily sickness is brought near to
death, though he receive a medicine, by ihe
which he is restored, and is freed from the danger
of death, yet cannot he, therefore., prtsenily ri'^e
up, and go to work as a sound roan mayj for the
feebleness of his body keeps him down, so that
he must re&t, and follow the use of medicines,
and use a good diet, by measure, according to
the advio^ of a physician, till he hath fully
recovered his health. Right so in this spiritual
The Second Book
175
business, he who through deadly sin is brought
to a spiritual death, though through the medi-
cine of the Sacrament of Penance he be restored
to life, so that he shall not be damned, neverthe-
less he is not presently whole, and cured of all
his passions ^nd of all his fleshly desires, nor is ape
for contemplation; but he must abide a great
while, and lake good heed to himself and order
himself so, that he may recover perfect health of
soul ; for he shall lin^-^er a great while, ere he be
fijlly whole. Yet if he lake medicineSj by the
counsel of a g'ood spiritual Phy^ician^ and use
them in time with measure and discretion, he
shall much the sooner be restored to his spiritual
strength, and come to reforming in feeling. For
reforming' in Faith is the lowest state of ail
chosen souls^ for beneath that they cannot well be.
But reforming- in feeling is the highest slate
in this life that the soul can come to, Eut from
the iQweji^t lo the highest a soul cannot suddenly
start, no more than a man that would climb upon
a ladder that is high, and setteth his foot on the
lowe&t stave, can at the next step get up to the
highest, but must go by degrees from one to an-
other till he rome to the highest.
Even so il is spiritually, no man becometh sud-
denly supreme ar high in grace, but through long
exercise and cunning" working of the soul may
he come thereto, namely when He (in whom all
grace lieth) helpeth and leacbeth a wretched soul,
for without His special help and inward teaching
can no soul arrive thereto.
bl/.
176
The Scale of Perfection
CHAPTER U
SECTION I
The Causes why so few Souls in comparison of the
Multitude of others, come to tbia HclotfTUog that
is both in Faith aad FceUnff
But now thou wilt say. Since our Lord is so
courteous of His goodness, and so free of His
gracious gifts, it is a wonder that so few souls (as
it seems) iu comparison of the multitude of others
come to this reforming in feeling-- It would seem
that either He is unwilling, but that is not so ; or
that He hath no regard of His creatureSj who by
receiving: t>f Faith are become His servants,
Gnse 1. Unto this I answer that one occasion is this:
Many that are reformed in Fatlh, set not their
hearts to profit in gracCj nor to seek a higrher
estate of good living-, through much industry
in praying and thinking:, ^^^ other bodily and
spiritual eiercises; but think it enough for them
to keep themselves from deadly sins, and to stand
still in the plight they are in. For they say it is
enough for them to be saved, and have the least
degree in Heaven, they will covet no more.
Thus perchance, do some souls, who are in the
state of g:race, and lead an active life in the world,
say or think ; and it is no wonder, for they are so
busied with worldly things that are needful to be
done that they Ciinnot fully set their hearts to
profit in spiritual exercises. But nevertheless,
such proceeding is perilous to them, for they fall
daily, and are now up, Eind now down, and can-
not come to the stability of good living, yet are
Ihey somewhat excusable, by i^a^on of iheir con-
dition of life, iiut other men and women who
The Second Book
^77
are free from worldly businesses if they will,
and m^y have their reedful sustenance with-
out much solicitude about it, especially reli-
gious men. and women, who have bound them-
selves by enCering- into rellg-ion to the state of
perfection, and other men also in secular estate
that have good abilities and understanding, and
may (if they will dispose themselves) come to
much grace ; these men are more to blame.
These persons, I say, are more to blame, for they
stand still, as idle, and will not profit in grace*
nor in further seeking to come to the love and
knowledge of God.
For verily it is perilous for a soul to be reform- ititdan^fw.
ed only in faith, and will not seek to make any "us te b^-t^jit*
further progress, nor give himself dilig^ently to /^^SI^/
spiritual exercises, for so he may easily lose that o/^uct.
he hath. and fall again into deadly sin. For a soul
cannot stand still alwaysinonesta-te, for it is either
profiting in grace, or decaying through sin. For
It fareth with him, as it doth with a man that were
drawn out of a pit, and when he is up, would go
no further than the pit's brink, surely he were a
very fool, for a little puff of wind, or an unwary
moving of himself, might soon cast him down
again, and that worse than he was before. But if
he fiy as far as he can from the brink and go for-
ward, on further ground ; then, though there come
a great storm, he is the more secure from falling
into the pit. Right so is it in this spiritual busi-
ness ; he that is drawn out of the pit of sin through
reforming of Faith, and when he is out of deadly
sin thinketh himself secure enough, and there-
fore will not profit, but remaineih still at the
pit's brink, as near as he may, he is not wise;
for upon the least temptation of the enemy, or of
hid flesh, he falleth into sin again. But if he fleo
178
The Scale ol PerFection
CdMJf 3.
from the pit. that is, if he set his heart fully to
come to more grace, and to use his best inclus-
tr>' to come thereto, and give himself heartily to
prayer, meditaling and other good works, though
great temptations rise against hitn, lie falleth not
easily to deadly sin again.
And verily it is a wonder to me, that seeing
grace is so ^ood and so profitable, why a man,
when he hath but a little thereof, yea so little that
he can scarce have less, should say : Ho, I will
have no more of this, for I have enough. When
yet I see a worldly man, though he have of
worldly goods much more than he needeth, yet
will he never say : Ho, I have enough, I will have
no more of this; but will covet more and more,
and bestir all his wits and fnifiht, and will never
set a stint to his covetousness to get more.
Much more, then, should a chosen soul covet
spiritual good, which is everlasting, and which
maketh a soul blessed, and never should cease
from coveting, if he did well, to get what he
might get* For he that most coveteth, most
sbali have ; and surely if he do thus, he shall pro-
fit and grow in grace greatly.
Another cause of such fewness of souls re-
formed in feeling is this: Some men that are
reformed in Faith, in the beginning of their turn-
ing to God, set lhemseIvt?H in a certain manner
of workirg, whether it bo spiritual or corporal,
and think ever to hold on in that manner of
working, and not to change it for any other that
Cometh through grace, though it were better,
imagining the first course to be best for them
to hold on in, and therefore they rest therein,
and through custom so bind themselves thereto
that when they have fulfilled it they find them-
selves wonderfully well aatisfied, for they imagine
The Second Book
179
they have done a great good thing therein for
God. And if it chance ihat they be at any time
hindered from their said custom, thougii it be by
a just occasion, they are sad and troubled in con-
science, as if they had done a great deadly sin.
These men hinder themseives somewhat from
feeling of more grace, for they set their perfection
in a corporal work, and so they make an end in
the midst of the way, where no end 13. For those
corporal or sensible customs, which men use in
their beginnings, are good, but they are but
means and ways to lead a soul forward to per-
fection.
And therefore he that setteth his perfection in
any bodily or spiritual exercisej which he feeleth
in the beginning of his turning to God, and will
seek no further, but ever rest therein, he hinder-
eth himself greatlyn For it is but a silly way ot
tradings wherein an apprentice is ever in the
same degree of skill, and can do as much in It
on the first day as he can thirty years aften Or
else, if the trade be good and subtle, he is but
of a dull wit, or an evil will that profiteth not
therein.
Now it is certain, that of all crafts the service
of God is most sovereign and most subtle, and
the highest and hardest to come to perfection in
it, and also the most profitable and gainful to
them that faithfully prosecute it; and therefore
it seemeth that the apprentices to it that ate ever
alike in learning are either dull witted or evil
wiUed.
I do not reprove those customs that men use
in their beginnings, whether they be corporal or
apirituol, but say that they be full good and
profitable* for ihem to use. But I would that
* Specif uU
It is no/g0O9-
sei-ves to any ,
vofioni UH-
alierabiy.
■^
^^^^^^^
^^ iSo
The Scale of Perfection
^^H they ftUould hold them only as a way and an
^^H entry towards spiritual feeling'* and that they use
^^H them as convenient means till better come ; and
^^H that while they use them they covet after better.
^^H And then if better come that are more spiritual,
^^H and more drawing' in of the thoughts from flesh-
^^H lines3 and sensuEility, and vain imagflnation^i if
^^H that same better thing should be hindered by
^^H cleaving still to their former customs^ that then
^^H they leave such their custom [when it may be left
^^H without scandal or harm* to others) and follow
^^H that which they feel. But If neither hinder the
^^1 other, that then they u^e both if they may. I
^^^ mean not of leaving customs necessary throug'h
^^^ bond of law, or of rule^ or of penance, but
of others voluntarily undertaken. Thus saith
A, Ixxjslii. the Prophtt in the Psaltm : Surely the i<mgtvcr
•mill giv^ Hts bUssingy they shall go from strength
1 to Hrength^ and the God of Gods shall be seen in
1 Stan, That is, our Saviour will give His grace
^^K to chosen souls, calling' them from sin and mak-
^^H in^ them rlg^htt^us through good works to His
^^B likeness ; through which o^ace they shall profit
^^H and grow from virtue to virtue till they come to
^^H Sion, that is, till they come to contemplation in
^^P -which they shall see the God of ^ois, that is,
^^H they shall ser^ well that there is bui one God.
The Second Book
i8f
SECTION a
How ttiAt witficLiI gr^at Corporal and Spiritiial Ih'
dustry, and whhout much Grace and Humility,
Souls c^anot come to reforming' in Feeling nor
keep thcnuclvea therein &iitr they ccjmc tficrcto
But now thou wilt say, since it is so, that re-
forming' in Faith only is so low, and so perilous
lo rest in, for fear oi falling' ag-ain ; and reform-
ing' in Feelinjf is so high, and so secure for them
that can arrive thereto, therefore covetest thou to
know what kind of exercises and industries were
most convenicTit to be used for It, by the which
thou mayest proiic and come thereto; or whether
there be any one certain exercise or special work
hy which a man may come to that grace and
that reforming in fceUng,
To this I answer thus: Thou knowest well 77^j"^*"{
that what man or woman that will dispose him- „//7Aj^*"'"
self to come lo cleanness of heart and to feeling
of grace, it behoveth him. to use much industry
and gjeat striving both in will and in deeds con-
tinually against the wicked stirrings of all chief
sins. Not only against pride or envy^ but against
all other, with all the kinds that come out of
them, as I have said before in the First Book.
For why? Passions and fleshly desires hinder
the cleanness of heart and peace of conscience.
And il behoveth him also to labour to get all
virtues, not only chastity and temperance, but
also patience and mildness, charity and humility,
and all the other. And this cannot be done by-
one manner of work, but by divers works, ac-
cording to the divers and sundry dispositions of
men, as now praying, now meditaling, now work-
l82
The Scale o£ Perfection
ing" some g^ood works, now proving and exercising"
themselves in divers ways^ in hunger, in thirst, in
cold, in sufFerincf of shame and despite, if need
"be, and bodily pains and labours, for the love of
virtue and justice. This thou knowest full vreH,
for this thou readest in every book that Createth
of guod life; ihus saith every mati that would
stir up men's souls to the love of &od. And so
it appeareth tFiat there is no one special exer-
cise, no certain work by which only a soul can
come to that grace, but principally through the
grace of our Lord Jesus, and by many and great
deeds, in all that he is able to do* and yet all La
little enough.
And one reason why there must be such pains-
taking is this: That since our Lord Jesus Him-
self is the special master and teacher of this art,
and the special Physician of spiritual sicknesses;
for without Him all is nought; it is therefore
reasonable, that as lie teacheth and stirreth.
so a man should follow and work. But he is
a simple master that cannot teach his scholar
whilst he is learning but only one lesson, and
he is an unskilful physician, that by one medi-
cine would heal all sores. Therefore our Lord
Jesus, that is so wise and so good, to show His
wisdom and goodness teacheth divers les.'^ons
to His scholars, after that they profit in their
learning, and giveth to divers souls divers and
several medicines according to the nature of
their sickness.
Another reason also is this ; If there were
one certain work by which a soul might come
to the perfect love of God, then might a man
fancy that lie might come thereto by his own
endeavours, and throue^h his own travail only;
as a merchant cometh to his riclies only hy his
The Second Book 183
o^vIl industry and travail. But it is not 50 in
this spiritual business, concerning the love of
God ; for he that will serve God vrfseiy and
come to the perfect love of God, he will covet
lo have none other reward but Him only. But
then for to have him may no creature deserve
by his own travail or industry ; for though a man
could labour both corporally and spiritually as
much as could a]l the creatures that ever have
been, yet could he not, for all that, only by his
own working deserve to have God for his reward ;
for He i!* the sovereign bliss and endless good-
oesSf and surpaaseth without comparison all men's
deserts; and therefore He cannot be gotten by
any man's special working, as a temporal re-
ward may, for He is free and giveth to whom
He will, and when He will, neither for this, nor
for that, nor in this time, nor after that time>
For though a soul work all that he can and may
all his lifetime, yet shall he never have thft per-
fect love of Jesus till our Lord will freely give it.
Nevertheless, on the other side, I say that Neiihergraa
God useth not to give such grace unless a man v'fJ'fif.fvoTk-
do work and travail all that he can and may; '^'^ff^"/
yea^ till it seem to him that he caa work no g'tue,
more, or else be in full will and desire to do
more if he could. And so it seemeth, that
neither grace only, without the full working of
the soul so far as it can, nor the man's work-
ing alone, without grace, brint^eih the soul to
the reforming in feeling (the which reforming con-
sisteth in perfect love and charity). But that
both joined together, that is grace joined to
working, bringeth into a soul the blessed feel-
ing' of perfect love. The which grace cannot
rest fully, but only on humble souls that be full
of the fear of God.
U
i84
The Scale of Perfection
Therefore I may affirm that he that hath not
iumiHty, nor doth use his industry and labour,
cannot come to this refurming in feeling. And
he hath not fiill humility, that understandeih
and perceiveth not himself truly as he is. As
thus: He that doth all the good deeds that he
can, as fastings watching, weiiring hair-ctoth,
and all other sufferings of bodily penance, or
doth all the outward works of mt^rcy to his
neighbour, or else internal works, as praying,
weeping, sighing, meditating, if he always rest
in them, and lean so Tziuch on them, and so
greatly regardeth them in his own sight and
esteem that he presumeth on his own deserts,
and thinketh himself ever rich and good, holy
and virtuous, verily as long as he feeleth him-
self thus, he is not humble enough. No ; though
he say or think that all that he doth is of God's
gift, and not of himself, he is not yet humble
enough; for he doth not as yet make himself
naked of all his good deeds, nor tody poor in
spirit, nor feels himself to be nothing, as indeed
he ts. And verily, till a aoul through grace is
come sensibly to annihilate herjielf and strip her-
self of all the good deeds that she doth, through
the sight and beholding of the truth of Jesus, she
is not perfectly humble; for what is humility but
truth ? Verily nothing else. And therefore he
that through grace can see Jesus, how that He
doth all, and himself doth ja^t nothing, but
sufi'ereth Jesus to work in him what He pleaseth,
he is humble. But this is very hard, and as it
were impo^^lble, and unreasonable (to a man
that worketh all by liuman reason, and seeth
no further) for to do many good deeds, and then
lo attribute all to Je&us and set hira.^elf at nought.
But whoso can have a spiritual sight of the truth.
The Second Book 185
he shall think it full true and full reasonable to
do so_ And verily he that hath this sight shall
do never the less, but shall be stirred up to tra-
vail corporally and spiritually, much the more,
and with a belter wilL And this may be one
cause why some men pemdventure labour and
travail.* and pine their wretched bodies with out-
rageous penance all their lifetime, and are ever
saying prayers and psalms and many beads» and
yet cannot come to the spiritual feeling of the
love of God, as it seems some do in short time,
with less painSj for they have not that humility
I sp&ke of.
Also on the other side I say : He that useth
not his industry, but tliinketh thus with himself,
to what end should I lake pains? Why should
I pray, or meditate, or watch, or fast, or do any
other bodily penance to attain to such grace, see-
ing it cannot be gotten or had bur only by the
free gift of Jesus } Therefore 1 will continue in
my sensuality as I am, and do even nothing of
any such corporal or spiritual works ; but expect
till He give it, for if He be pleased to give it. He
asketh no working of me, how much soever or
how little I do, 1 shall have it, and if He be
pleased not to give it, labour I never so hard,
I shall get it never the sooner. He that saith
thus shall never come to this refi^rming, for he
draweth himself wilfully to idleness of the flesh,
and disenableth himself for the receiving of the
gift of grace^ inasmuch as he layeth astide and
puiteth from him both inward working, which
conslsteth in a lasting desire and longing after
Jesus, and outward working, by exercising his
body in outward dteds, so that he shall never
receive the said grace.
I receive the ;
' Swink Bnd swt&t.
J
iB6
The Scale of Perfection
Therefore I say that he that hath not true
humility, nor is very serious and diligent, either
only in internal exercises and continual desire
towards God by prayer, and devout afffctions
and thoughts of Him, or else both inwani and
outward, he cannot come to this spiritual form-
ing of His image.
Tkt thorltjl
end readiest
■bay tu lUtain
hettto*
CHAPTER UI
Afl Entry or good Beginnioff of a Spiritual Journey,
atiowine bow a St7ul should behave herself in
intending and workinff that will com* ta ihig
Reforming^ by cximpls of a Pilffrim EToing lo
Jerusalem
Nevkktheless^ for that thou covetest to know
some manner of working by which thou mayest
the sooner attain to this reforming. I shall show
thee, as well as I can. tha shortest and readiest
help that 1 know in tbi> working. And how that
may be I shall tell chee by an example of a good
pilgrim in this wise. There was a nan that
would go to yertisait-m, and because he knew not
the way he came to another man, who he be-
lieved knew the way thither better, and asked
him whether he mig-ht come to that city, who
answered that he could not come thither with-
out great pains and travail, for the way is long
and perilous, and full of great thieves and robbers
and many other hindrances there be that befall
a man in his going, and also there be many
several waj's as it seemeth Irading thitherward.
And many men travelling thitherward are often-
times killed or robbed^ and so may not come to
that place which they desire. Nevertheless, there
is one way, the which whosoever taketh and hold-
eth to it, I will undertake (saith he) he shall come
The Second Book
187
to that city of Jerumicm, and shall never lose his
life, nor bo slain, nor die by defaalt^ though he
should ofl be robbed and well beaten, and suffer
much pain in the going-, yet his life shall be safe.
Then said the pilgrim, so I may have my life
saved, and come to the place that I cover, I care
not what mischief I suffer in going. And there-
fore, tell and advise me what you think neces-
sary, and I promise you on a certainty that I will
follow vour counsel. That other man answered
and said thus ; Lo, 1 set thee in the right way ;
this is the way, and see that thou bear in mind
that which I ttrll thee. Whatsoever thou seest,
hearest, or feelest, that would stay or hinder thee
in the way^ stick not at it, willingly consent not
to it, abide not with it, behold it not, like it not,
fear it not, but still go forward holding on thy
way, and ever think and say with thysalf that
thou fain wouldsc be at Jerusalem^ for that thou
covetest and that thou desirest ; and nought else
but that, and if men rob thee and spoil thee, beat
thee, scorn thee, despise thee, do not thou strive
against such their doings, if thou m^an to have
thy life safe, but be content with the harm thou
receive^!, and hold on thy way, as if all that were
nothing, lest thou receive mare harm- Also if
raen would seek to stay thee by telling tales, and
feed thee with lies or conceits to draw thee to
merriment, or to forsake or prolong thy pilgrim-
age^ give them a deaf ear and answer them not
again, and say naught else bat that thou wouldst
fain be at yerusalftn. And if men proffer thee
gifts, and would make thee rich with worldly
goods, listen not to them, but think ever on
JerusaUm. And if thou wilt hold this course
and do that which I have said, I will under-
take for thy life, that thou shalt not tje slain^
1
t88
The Scale of Perfection
but that thou shall come to that place that thou
desirest.
Now to apply this spiriiuaily to our purpose:
Jerusalem is, as much as to say, a sight vf peace \
and belokeneth contemplation in perTect love of
God ; for contemplation is nothing else but a sight
of God, which is very peace. Then if thou covet
to come to this blessed sight of very peace, and
be a true pilgrim towards y^rusaienit though it
be so that I was never there^ ni^e^rlhel^ss, as far
forth as I can, 1 shall set thee in the way to-
wards it.
The beginning of the high way, in which thou
shalt go, is reforming' in Faith, grounded humbly
on the faith and on the laws of holy Church as
I have said before ; for trust assuredly, though
you have sinned heretofore, if you be now re-
formed by the Sacrament of Penance, after the
law of holy Church, ihat thou art in the right
way. Now then, since thou art in ihe safe way,
if tiiou wilt speed in thy going- ^ind make a good
journey, it behoveth thee to hold these two things
often in thy mind: //umiiify a.nd Lwe ; and often
say to thyself, / am fwthing^ I have no//iw^, I covei
nothings bui one. Thou ahali have the meaning
of these words in thine intent, and in the habit of
thy soul perpetually, thoug-h thou have them not
always expressly in thy thought (for that is not
necessary]. Humility saith, I arn nothings I ha^e
nothing; Love aailh, I cm)ct nothing-^ hut tme, and
that is Jesus. These two stirrings well fastened,
with the minding of Jesus, make good music in
the harp of the soul, when they be cunningly
slruck upon with the finger ot reason ; for the
lower thou smilest upon the one, the higher
soundeth the other. The less thou feelest that
thou art, or that thou hast of thyself, through
The Second Boob i8q
Humility, the more thou covctest for to have
of Jesus, through desire of love. I mean not
only that Humility which a soul feeleth by the
sight and sense of his own sin, for frailness and
wretchedness of this life, or of the wretchedness
of his neighbour; for though this kind of Hu-
mility be true and wholesome, neverihdess it
is boisterous and fleshly in comparison of that
other, not so clean, nor soft, nor lovely. I mean
that Humility which a soul feeleth through grace,
in the sight and beholding of the endless being,
and the wonderful goodness of Jesus, and if thou
canst not see it with thy spiritual eye, yet that
thou believe it ; for through this sight of his
being, either in full faith or in feelings thou
shalt esteem thyself not only the most wretched
creature that is» hut also as nothing in the sub-
stance of thy soul, though thou hadst never done
any sin. And this is lovely Humility; for in
respect of Jesus (who is truly all) thou art just
nothing, and so must thou think that thou hast
just nothing", but art as a vessel that standeth
ever empt)-, and as if nothing were therein, as
of itself ; for do thou never so many good deeds
outward or inward, until thou have and feel that
thou hast the love of Jesus, thou hast just no-
thing. For with that precious liquor only may
thy soul be filled, and with none oLher. And
forasmuch as that thing alone is so precious and
noble, therefore whatever else thou hast, or what
thou dost, hold and esteem it as nothing as to
rest in, without the sight and the love of Jesus-
Cast it all behind thee, and forget it, that thou
mayest have this, which is the best of all. Just
as a true pilgrim, going towards Jerusalem^
leaveth behind him house and land, wife and
children, and maketh hijnself poor and bare
igo
The Scale of Perfection
from all thirgfs that he hath, that he may go
lightly without letting. Right 50, if ihou wilt
be a spiritual pilgrim, thou shah strip thyself
naksd of all that thou hast, that are either gx>od
deeds or bad, and ca« them all behind thee, that
thou be so poor in thy own feeling- that there be
nothing of thy own working that thou wilt resl-
ingly lean on ; but ever desiring- more grace and
love, and ever seeking the spiritual presence of
Jesus. And if thou dost thus^ then shalt thou
resolve in thy heart ftdly and wholly that thou
wilt be at yrrusaiem, and at no other place but
there; Chat \s, thou shalt purpose in thy heart
wholly and fully that thou wilt nothing have but
the love of Jesus and the spiritual sight of Him
in aucb manner as He shall please to show Him-
self; for to that end only art thou made and re-
deemed, atid He it is that is thy beginning and
thy end, thy joy and thy bltss. And therefore
whatsoever thou hast^ be thou never so rich in
other deeds spiritual or corporal (unless thou
have this love that I speak of^ and know atid
feel that thou hast it) hold and esteem that thou
hast right nothing. Imprint this well in the de-
sire of thy soul, and cleave fast thereto, and it
shall save thee from all perils in thy going, that
thou slialt never perish, and it shall save thee
from the tbieves and robbers which I call un-
clean spirits, that though they spoil thee and
beat thee by divers temptations, thy life shall
ever be safe; and in brief, if thou keep it, as
1 have said, thou shalt escape all perils and
misthiefe, and come to the city of JerusaicTn in
a short time.
Now then, since thou art in the way, and
knowest the name of the place, and whither
thou tendest, begin therefore to go thy joiuTiey,
'The Second Book 191
Thy setting' forth is naught el&s but spiritu^
working, and bodily also, when there is need,
which thou shalt use according to discretion
in this wise. What work soever it is that thou
shalt do [according to thy degree, and the estate
thou art in), corporally or spiritually, if it holp
and further this gracious desire that thou hast
to love Jesus, and make it more whole, more
easy, and more mig'hty to all virtues and to all
goodness, that work I hold the best, be it preach-
ing, be it meditating, reading, or working j and as
long as that work strengthent-lb most thy heart
and thy will to the love of Jesus, and draweth
thy affeciions and thy thoughts farthest off from
worldly vanities, it is good to use it ; and if so be
that through use the savour or good taste thereof
groweth less, and thou thinkest of some other
work that savoureth more, and thou feelest
more grace in that other, take the other, and
leave that. For though thy desir© and the
yearning of thy heart to Jesus ought ever to
be unchaiigeabl?, nevertheless thy spiritual
works that thou art to use, in praying or
thinking, for the feeding and nourishing thy
desire, may be divers, and mav well be changed*
after that thou feelest thyself disposed through
grace severally to apply thy heart to them; for
it fareth with works and this dcsiro as it doth
with sticks and a fire, for the more sticks are
laid to the fire, the greater is the fire> Right so,
the more several spiritual works that a man hath
in his de&ign, to keep entire this desire, the
mightier and more burning shall his desire be
to God,
And therefore consider wisely what work thou
et do, and which most helpeth to keep
i desire of Je£us ^if so be thou be free,
19a
The Scale of Perfection
and not boumi by any obiig"ation), and that do.
Bind not ihyself lo voluntary customs unchange-
ably, which may hinder the liberty of thy heart
to correspond or answer the motion or invitation
of Jesus, if His grace at anv time should speciaJly
visit thee. And I shall tell thee what customs
are ever g-ood and necessary to be kept, that is,
auch as consist in the getting of virtues, and in
hindering or resisting of sin, such customs
should never be left ; for Ihou shouldst ever be
humble, patient, sober and chaste, if thou do as
thou shouldst. But the customs of other things,
if they hinder a better good, are good to be laid
aside, giving place to that which would be better
for us. As thus, if a man have a custom to say
so many beads or prayers, or to medicate of such
or such a subject, for so long a time, or to watch,
or kneel thus long, or any other such bodily
deed, these customs are to be left sometimes
when reasonable cause requlreth, or when more
grace cometh otherwise, or in some other exercise.
CHAPTER IV
Of certain Temptations and Lcttings which Souls feel
from their Spiridial Encimcs, in ihcir SpiriEual
knowing and going rawards Jerusalem, and the
Remedies agaJost ih«m
Now that thou art in the way, and knowest how
thou shouldst go, beware of thy enemies, that
will be busy to let thee if they can. For their
intent is to put out of thy heart that desire,
and that longing that thou hast to the love of
Jesus, and to drive thee home again to the love
of worldly vanities : for that nothing grieveth
them 50 much as this desire. These enemies
The Second Eoolc
193
are priticipally ilpslily desires, and vain fears,
which rise out of thy heart, through the corrup-
tion of thy fleshly nature^ and would hlntier thy
desire of the love of God, that they may fully
and peaceably possess thy heart ; tlicae are thy
nearest enemies. Also other etiemies there are,
as unclean spirits, which are busy with slig:ht3
and wile:^ to deceive tliee. But one remedy hast
thou, which 1 mentioned before, and that is, that
whatsoever they say, believe them not ; but hold
on thy way, and only desire the love of Jesus,
Answer them ever on this wise; / am noihing^
/ have ncthif^g, 1 covet nothing only the Itrve of ouf
L^rd Jesus.
If thy enemies, by suggPstion*i in thy soul, say Thtfrsf
unto thee that thou hast^not made thy Confession temptation.
aright, or that there i^ -some old former sin litd in
thy heart that thou knowesc not, nor never madeat
thy Confes-^ion aiight of it, and therefore thou
must turn home ag;iin, and leave off thy desire,
and go confess thyself better; believe not this
saying, for it is false, for thou art rightly con-
fessed, and 60 do thou surely hope and trusts
and that thou art in the riglit way, and that
thou needest no further to ransack thy soul for
confession of that which is past; hold on thy
way. and think only on yfrusaUm.
Also, il" they say that thou art not worthy to Thestcottd
have the love of GolI, and therefore why shouldst f^^'Pit^tton.
thou covet that which thou wilt not be able to
attain, nor art not worthy of; believe ihem not
but go on, and say thus: Not because I am worfhy,
hut bcceiusd I atrt unwortUyj therefore zoouid I love
God; for if I had His lave^ that it>mild •make nte
worthy ; and sinca I was cre'itcd to that cnd^ though
I shout d never hiivs if, rft will I covet it, and there-
fort viiil I pray oftd thsnk that I may get it^ And
'3
194
The Scale of Perfection
7S* fhird
itmptaiitn.
then if thy enemies see that thou be^innest lo
wax bold, and well-willed to thy work, they will
beg^in to be afraid of tlice, yet will they not
cease to seek to stay and hinder thee as much
as they can, as long as thou art going in the
way, what with affrighting and threatening' thee
on one side, and what with flattering' and vain
pleasing' thee on the other side, to make thee
break thy purpose and turn home again. And
they will say thus : J/ ihou- h&ld on thus tky
desire io ycsus, trmjaiUng so fcrvstUh as tJiou nffw
bfgmviest, thou "miU fail iw/f hodtiy stcknfss, or tkau
wtUcrau ffiy head and fall inio fancies or nulan-
clwly, as tlwu y£sC some do ; or ifwu wilt fall inio
poverty^ or bodily mtschief^ and rwne wiU be able ic
help thee^ or thmt luilt fall into secret Umptaitons
and ilimiom of the d<vil, that then shoil not be
abU to help thyself \ for it is very dangerous for imy
"man to give himself over to the love of God^ and
leave all the worlds and covet nothing but only the hvc
of Him. For lltat many perils -may fall out Uiol a
wan knows nat of and therefore turn home ^gath,
and leave off this desire, for tltou shall never bring
it to pass, and do as otiier worldly men do.
Thus will thy enemies say, but believe them
not, but hold on thy desire, and ^^y naught else ;
but that thou wouldst have Jesus, and be at
yerusaUm : and if they jjerceive that thy will is
so strong-, that thou wilt not give o\'er, neither
for fear of sin, nor of sickness, for fancies nor for
frenzies, for doubts nor for dreads of spiritual
leroptations, for mischiefs nor for poverty, for
life nor for death, but ever seekest and longest
after one thing, and nothing else but that one
thing, and turnest a deaf ear to them, as though
thou heardest them not, and boldest thee on stiffly
and constantly in tby couraeof prayefraud in thy
The Second Boofc
195
T/ie /vuf/h
Other spiritual exercises without slinting^, but yet
with discretion, after the counsel and directions
of thy Superior, or of thy g-hostly Father, then
beg-in tbey to be wroih, and to come a little
nearer to theo. Then they begin to rob thee
and beat Ihee^ and do thee all the shame that //w/i^i*
they can, and that is, when they make that all
the deeds that thou doest, be the}- never so well
done, are judged by others to be evil, and turned
into the worse part^ And whatsoever thou
wouldst do, or have done for the help or com-
fort of thy body or souJ, it shall be letted or
hindered by other men, so that thou shalt be
put from thy wid in everything which thou
reasonably desirest. And all this they do, that
thou mayest be stirred up to ang-er, or melan-
cholv, or evil will against thy neighbour. But
ag-alnst all these diseases, and all other that
ihou mayest feel, use this remedy. Take Jesus
into thy mind, and trouble not thyself with them,
nor be angry ; tarr>' not with them, but think on
thy lesson ; T/iai Ihoti- ar£ nofhmgi that tkou hasi
ncthtng, that thou const- nothing lose of mrlhly
goodst thai thou coTJcicsi nothing but the iovo 0/
Jesits; and hold on tliy \\s.\', with thy exercises,
to ^crtisatcfn. And though thoti bo sometimes
tarried and letted in thy wavt through thy frailty,
with such inconveniences as befall thy bodily life,
through evil will of man, or malice of the enemy ;
as soon as thou canst, come again to thyself, leave
off the thinking of thy inconveniences^ and go on
with thy exprcisCH Abide not long upon the
thinking of those thy defects for fear of thy
enemies.
And after this, when they see that thou art so
well willed, that thou art not angjy, nor heavy,
nor wroth, nor much moved against any creature
ThtHfth
ig6
The Scale of Perfection
for aught thai they can do or say agriin^t thee,
but settest thy heart fully to suffer all that may
fall, ease or unease, praise or dispraise, and
that thou dost esteem or regard nothing 30 that
thou mayest keep thy thought and thy desire
whole to the love of God, then are they much
abashed. But then will they set upo^T thee with
flattery and vain pleasing; and that is when
they set before thee all thy good deeds and
virtues, and tell thee ihat all men praise thee
and speak well of thy holiness, and how all
men love thee and worship thee for thy holy
living. Thus will thy enemtes do^ that thou
mayest believe them, and take delight in this
vain joy, and rest therein. But if Ihou do well
thou shalt esteem all such janglings and sug-
gestions to he false flattering-s of thy enemy,
that profFereth thee to drink venom tempered
with honey, and therefore refuse it, and say
thmi tinit have von€ of it^ hut thou wmildst be at
Jerusalem,
Such lettings shalt thou feel, or the like, what
from thy flesh, and what from the world, and
what of the fiend, more than I can rehearse*
Now for as long as a man suffereth his thoughts
■willingly to run about the world in beholding
of sundry things, he pereeiveth few letlin^S'
But as soon as he drcweth nil his lhought:i and
his yearnings to one thing only, to have it. to
know it, and to love it, which is Jesus ; then
ahaU he feel many painful letiingsi for wliatso-
ever thing he feeleth which is rot that which
he coveteth, that same thing is a letting to
him. Therefore I have sec down some of tliem
for examples in particular. And moreover in
general, 1 shall now tell thee that whatsoever
stirritig thou feelest of the flesh, or of the fiend,
either pleasant or painful, bitter or sweety lovely
or dreadful, gladsoine or sorrowful, that would
draw down thy ihoug^hts or thy desires from the
love of Jesus to iroridly vanities, and would
hinder or cool thy spiricual covetousnesa that
ihou hast to the love of Him, and would have
thy hoari to bo occupied with that stirring and
rest upon it, set it at naught, entertain it not
willing'ly, tarry noc therewith too long. But
if it be any worldly thing' that is necessary
to be done, for thyself or thy neighbour, dis-
patch it, and quit thee soon of it, and bring it
to an emi that it hang not on thy heart. But
if it be another thing that may be spared and
is not very needful, or else concerns thee not,
heed it not, jangle or dally not therewith, nor
trouble or vex thyself about it, fear it not, like
it not, but oast it out of thy heart speedily, and
say thus; / am twthin^^ I have noihtng-^ I seek
tu)T coveC naihing htd the liwe of ^csas. Fasten
thy thoughts to this desire and strengthen it,
and raaintEiin it by prayer and other spiritual
exercises that thou forget it not, and it shall
lead thee in the right way, and save thee from
till dangers; that [hough thou feel them thou
shait not perish, and 1 hope that it shall bring
thee to the perfect love of our Lord Jesus.
NeverthtlesE on the other side, I say also,
what work or what itirring it is that may help
or strengthen or nourish thy desire, and draw
th}' thoughts farthest from lust and the mind-
ing of the worldf more entire and more burning
to the love of God, whether it be praying,
meditating, reading or hearing, solitariness or
being in cotnpanv, silence or talking, going or
sitting, hold to it for the time, and exercise
thyself therein as long as any savour or relish
£08
The Scale of Perfection
therein laateth. if it be so that thou take there-
with meat, and drink, and sleep, as a pilgrim
doth» and use discretion in liiy exerciseSj afier
the advice and directions cf ihy superior. For
a pilgrim, though he be in never so great haste
in his journey, yet will he eat and drink and
sleep. Do thou likew-ise; and lhon;^h it hiiider
and stay ihee at one time, it shiill further ihee
at another time.
CHAPTER V
Of an «vil Day and a go^J Night, aad what they mfan,
and hov/ ihc Love oE the World is lik^n^id to an
evil Ddy, and the We of God to a gooJ Night
If thou wouldst know then what this desirG is,
verily it is Jesus, for I-Io worketli this desire
in thee^ and gii/eih it thee; and He it is that
desireth in thee, and He it is that is desired ;
He is all, and He doth all, if thou coiildst see
Him, Thou dost nothing, but sufferest Him to
work in thy soul, and assentest to Him with
great gladness of heart, that He will vouchsafe
to do so in thee. Thou art nothing; else but a
reasonahle instrument by which and in which
He worketh ; and therefore when thou feelest
ihy thoughts, through the touching of grace,
taken up with the desire of Jesus, with a mitjhty
devout will for to please Him and love Him,
then think that thou hast Jesus, for He it is
that thou desirest. Behold Him well, for Ho
g-oeth before thee, not in bodily shape, but in-
sensibly, by secret presence of Ills power
Therefore see Him spiritually if thou canst, and
fasten all thy thoughts and affections to Him,
and follow Him wheresoever He goeth: foi He
The Second Book
1Q9
will lead ihee the right way to JcrusaUm^ thai is
to the sight of peace and contemplation. Thus
prayed the Profhcf to the Father of Heaven,
saying-: Scf^d out Thy light and Thy imth (that ftnftw iliL
is Thy Son Jesus;, and tie sfmil lead me (by de-
sire in me) io Ihy fwly hill and to Thy tabernacles.
That is to the feeJing of pertect love and height
of Conieiiipiatiim.
Of this desire the Prophet fsatas speaketh
thus: Mcmoriak tuum^ ^c. hord Jesus, the /jmWmv'u
temtmhruTuc of Thee ts imprinted in the destre
of my sout, for my soul hath desired Thee in ths
night, and my spirit hath coveted 'ihce in all its
thottghfs. Tlie Prophet saith he desired God all
io the night, being a space betwixt two days ; for
when one day is ended another day beginnethnot
presently, but first cometh night which parteth
the days, being someiimes long and sometinies
short, and then after that cometh another day.
The Prophet nieaneth not only of this manner
of night, but he meaneth a spiritual right. Thou
shalt undtffJitand that tlicre be two days or two
lights. The first is a false lights the second
a true light. The false light is the love of thia
world, which a man hath in himself through
the corruption of nature. The true light is the
perfect love of Jesus fell through e[race in a
man's soul. The love of this world is a false
light, for it passeth away and lasteth not, and so
it pErformcth not that which it promlseth. This
light did the enemy promise to Adam when
he stirred him to sin, and said thus; y'our eyes
shall be opened^ and ye skull be as gods. And
therein he said truth. For when Ad<ifn had
sinned, forthwith his inner eye was shut, and
spiritual light withdrawn, and his outward eye
was opened, and he felt and saw a new light
200
The Scale of Perfection
of fleshly liking- and worldly love which he
saw not before. And so saw he a new day,
but this was an evil day, for this was it that
/ffbuU Job cursed* when he said thus: Let the iiay
ptrt'sh ^herttn I was born. He cursed not the
day running on in the year which God made,
but he curbed this day whirh nian made, that
is the concupiscence and the love of this world
in the which he was born, though he felt it
not. That day and that Hght he aj^ked of
God that it might perish and last no longer.
But the everlastings love of Jesxfs H a true
day and a blessed light ; for God is both love
and light, and He is everlasting, as Si yohn
tSe/ahnU saith I //c that lovetk God d'.veikik in tht light.
And now, what man perceiveth and seeth the
love of this world to be false and failing", and
therefore will forsake it and seek the love of
Jesus, yet may he not for ail ih.nt presenily
fee! the love of Him, but he must abide awhile
in the night, far he cannot sitddenly come
from that one light to that other, that is from the
love of the world to perfect love of God. Thfs
nitrht is nought else but a forbearing and a
withdrawing of the thought and of the soul
from earthly things by great dfsire and yearn-
ing for to love and see and feeL Jesus and
spiritual things. This is the ni^ht; for even
as the night is dark, and doth bide all bodily
things, and a lime of ceasing from all bodily
works ; even so a man that setieth himself fiilly
to think on Jesus, and to de&ire only the love
nf Him, 13 careful to hide his thoughts from
vain beholding and perceiving, and his affec-
tions from fleshly liking and loving of all
bodiJy creatures, whereby his thoughts may
become free and not be subject, nor his afiec-*
The Second Book
201
tions bound or pinned to, or troubled with
anything lower or worse than himself. And
if he come lo this pass then is it night with
him, for then he is in darkness. But this is
a good night and a light darkness, for it is a
stopping out of the faise love of this worlds
and it is an approaching: of the true day» And
verily the darker that this night is the nearer
is the true day of the love of Jesus; for the
more that a soul can, thTOUgh longing after God,
be hid from the noise* and stirrings of fleshly
affections and unclean thoughts^ the nearer is
5he to feel the light of the love of Htm, for
it is even at her. Thus seemeth the Prcphei
to mean, when he saith '- When I ^it in dark"
ness cur Lord is my it^hi. That is, when my
tjoul is hid from all stirrings of sin as it were
in sleep, then is our Lord my light, for then
approachelh He by Ilia grace to show me His
light, nevertheless this niglit is somfitime pain-
ful. As first, when a man is very foul, and is
not used through grace to be often in this
darkness, but would fain have it, and be in it,
and therefore he setteth Iiis thoughts and his
desires to Godward as much as he can, he
would not feel nor think but only of Him, and
because he cannot easily ha^'e it, therefore it
15 painful for the custom and familiarityt that
he hatii formerly had with the sins of the
world, and of fleshly affections and earthly
things; and his daily ficshly deeds press so
upon him, and continuallv strike in, and
throug-h force draw down the soul to them^
that he catinot well be hid from ihem so soon
as he would. Therefore this darkness is pain-
ful to hjrn, and rapeciaHy >-hen grace toucheth
. * Dia, t HtiPicli4C^*<
202
The Scale of Perfcctioo
him not abundantly, instilling some extraor-
dinary devotion into him- Nevertheless if it
be so with thee, be not too sad or heavy for
it, nor strive much as though thoti wouJdst by
force drive them out of lliy thoughts, for thou
canst not do 50; but do thou rather expect
grace> suffer quietlVf and force not thj^self too
much. But slyly Jif thou canst] draw thy de-
sire and spiritual eye to Jesus, as if thou didst
not care for them. For i:e thou assured, when
thou wouldest desire Je^us, and think only of
Him, and thou art not able freely to do so,
for the pressing' in of such worldly thoughts,
thou art certainly comings out of the fal&e day
and art entering into this darkness. But thv
darkness Ls not restful, not quiet to thee by
reason of thy uncleanness and unacquainted-
ness with it, and therefore use it often, and in
process of time through feeling of grace it wilt
be more ea^y and more restful to thee, and
that is when thy soul throug-h grace is made
so free, and so able and so good and so
gathered into itself that ic li.^teth to think on
just nothing-, then is it in a good darkness. This
•nothing 1 mean thus: that a soul may through
grace be gathered irto itself freely and wholly,
and not be driven against its will, nor drawn
down by force for to think, or like, or love
with cleaving of affection to any sin, or any
earthly thing vainly, then thinketh the soul
Just nought, for then it thinketh of no earthly
thing cleavingly. This is a rich nought, and
this nought and this night is a great ease to
the soul that desireth the love of Jesus, it is in
ease as to the thoughts of any earthly thing,
nevertheless it is full busy to think on Him.
What thing then maketh this darkness ?
The Second Book
203
Verily nought else but a gjacious desire to
have the love of Jesus, for that desire and that
longing: that it hath at that time to the love of
God, for to see Him and have Him, driveth out of
the heart all worldly vanities and fleshly affections,
and gatherelh tlie soul into itaclf, and busielh il
only in thinking how it may come to the love
of Him, And at that time she may freely and
devoutedly behold Jesus, whether she would pray
or meditate, and so it bringeth her to this right
•nothing: and verily it is not altogether dark
nor nothing- when it thinketh thus; for though
it be dark from false light, it is not altogether
dark from the true llffhi. For Jesus, that is
both love and li^fht, is in this darkness, whether
it be pamful or restful. If it be painful, then
is Jesus in the soul, as travelling in the desire
and longing after light, but He is not yet as
resting- in love, nor as showing His light. And
therefore it is called night and darkness, inas-
much as the soul is hid from the false lig-ht of
the world, and hath not yet a full feeling of
true light, but is in expecting of that blessed
lo\"e of God which it desireth.
Therefore if thou wouldst know when thou
art in this secure darknessi and when not,
thou mayest try it thus, and seek no further.
When thou feelest thy inient and thy will fully
set for tc desire God, and think only on Him,
thou mayest, as it were, at firi^t ask thyself in
thy own Ihouq-hts whether Ihou covetest to have
anything of this life for love of the thing itself,
or for to have the using of any of thy bodily
senses in any creature. And then if the eye
answer then thus; I "mould S€€ fust noUi tug; and
thy mouth: / Wintld savour fust noihuif; and
thine ear: / wctdd /soir j'usf nfflhing; and thy
The Scale of Perfection
body: I would fed just nothing; and after ihatj
thy heart say : / ^'ouid think just nothing of
earthly things, twr of bodily d^ris, fwr zuimid A*jw
my affections fastaicd fiesh/y to any crc(Uutc but
mtiy in God and to Gud'^vards, if I cmild; and
when they all answer thus to lliee. and do it iuU
readily, being touched by grace, then art thou
entered somewhat into ihir% darkness. For though
mthal thou feel and perceive within thee the
presentations and profTerings of vain thoughts,
and pressing in of fleshly affections i ncverth^
less thou art in this profitible darkness, if it be
so that thy thoughts be not fixed to ihem ; for
^uch vain imaginations that fall into the hean
unadvisedly! they trouble indeed this darkness,
and somewhat molest the soul because it \voidd
he hid from them, but cannot ; but they do not
take away the profit of this darkness, for tlio soul
shall by this means in time come to reslful dark-
ness. And then is this darkness restful when the
soul is hid for a time from the painful feeling of
all such vain thoughts, and is rested only in the
ilesire and loneing after Jesus, with a spiritual
beholding' of Him, as it shall be said hereafter ;
but this lastelh whole and entire but a short time,
yet though it be but for a short time, yet it is hill
profitable.
CHAPTER VI
How that the Desire of Jesus it\t ifl this lightsome
Darkness ahyeth a11 Motions of Sin^ anJ cnableth
the Soul to perceive spirilual Liahlmngs from llie
heavenly Jerusalem, ihal is, Jesus
-Seetxg then this darkness and this night con-
sisting only in the desire and longing after the
love of Jesos wilh a blind thinking on Him, is so
4jood and so restful, though it be but short, how
The Second Book
205
good then, and how bleaaed it is to feci His love,
and to be illuminated with His blessed invisible
light thercb}" to see the truth, the which li^ht
a soul receiveth wlien the night passeth, and tht?
day springeih.
This I conceive was the night that the Prophd
meant wher he said : My soul hnth dnind Thee
tn ihe ntglit, as I have said before. It is much
betier to be hid in this dark night frcirn beholding
of the world/ thoug:h it were painful, than to be
out in false likirg of this world, which seemeth
so shining, and so comfortable to them that are
blind in the knowledge of spiritual light i for
when thou art in this darkness, thou art much
nearer Jcrusakm than when thou art in the
midst of the false light. Therefore apply thy
heart fully to the stirrings of grace, and use thy-
self to dwell in this darkness, and by often essay-
ing 10 be acquainted therewith, and it shall soon
be made restful to thee, and the true light of
spiritual knowing shall spring up to thee^ not all
at once, but secretly by little and little, as the
Pr&pfi^i sailh ; Tq them thai dweli in lii€ country ^sa.
of the sfmdffm of d^ath light tn sprung up. That
is, light of grace springeth, and shall spring ta
all them that can dwell in the shadow of death;
that is in this darkness which is like to death;
for as death slayeth a living body and all its
flexibly senseSf right so the desire of the love
of Jesus felt in this darkness slayeth all sins* all
fleshly affections, and all unclean thoughts for
the time, and th^n dost thou, hasten to draw near
to yerusaiem. Thoti art not there yet, but by
some small sudden lighinin^rs that glide out of
small caves from that cityi shalt thou be able to
see it afar off ere thoa come to it, for know thou
well, though that thy soul be in this rest/ul dark-
* CiuyJi- r^n^^Erii^ ill (uccat ducnus.
2o6
The Scale of Perfection
£mv. kI,
ness without the trouble of worldly vanities, it is
not yet clothed all in light, nor turned all into
the fire of love. But it perc^^iveth full well that
there is somewhat above itself that it knowelh
not. nor hath not yet, but would bave it, and
burningly yesrneth after it, and that is nought
else but the sitrht of ytrnisnifiru outwardly, which
U like to a city which th^i Prophet £z£chtf£ saw in
his visions, He saith that he saw a city upon
a hill towards the south, that to his sight when it
was measured was no more in length and breadth
than a reed, that is six. cubits and a palm of
length. But as soon as he wa& brought into the
city, and looked about him, then he saw that it
was wondrous great, for he saw many halls, and
chambers both open and secret ; he saw gates
and porche^i without and within, and many more
building's than I now speak of, and it was in
length and brendlh many hundred cubits, that it
seemed a wonder to him that this city was so
long and so large within, that seemed so little
to his sight when he was without.
This city bet*>kenetli the perfect love of God
set upon the hill of Contemplation, which to \\\v.
sight of a soul that without the feeling of
it iravelleth in desire towards it seemetb
somewhat, but it seemeth but a little thingi
no more than a rood, that is, six cubits and a
palm of length. By six cubits are understood
the perfection of man's work; and by the palm,
a little touch of CQutcmpfatwn. He seeth well
that there is such a thing that passeth the de-
servings of all the workings of man, IJlce as a
palm is surpassed by sitc cubits, but he seeth
not within what it is, yet if he can come within
the city of Contemplation, then seeth he much
more than he saw at first*
The Second Book
207
CHAPTER VU
How a Man shall know fals* lliuminationa, thai »re
feigned by the Enemy, irorri ihc true Light cjf
knowiog that cometh out cf Jeaua» aiid by wb^t
lokeoa
But now beware of the midday fiend that
feigneth light as if it came out of Jerusalevij
and Ls not so; for the fiend seeth that our
Lord Jesus ahowcth iight to His lovers of
truth ; therefore lor the deceiving of them that
are unwise, he showeth a light that is rot true
Tinder colour of a true light, and co^ereth them.
Nevertheless^ how a soul may know the true light
when it shineth from God, and when it is feigned
by the enemy, shall 1 declare (as methinketh] by
an example oi the Rrmament.
Sometime the firmament showeth a light
&om the sun, which secmeth to be the sun and
is not; and sometimes showeth the true sun
truly. To know the one from the other is thus;
the feigned sun showeth himself otily betwixt
two black rainy clouds ; and then because the
sun is near, there shinelh out from the clouds
a light as if it were a sun, but i s not- But the true
bun showeth itself when the firmament is clear,
or much cleared from black clouds. Now to our
purpose. Some men, as it seems, forsake the
love of the world and would come to the love of
God, and to the light of understanding Him, but
they would not come through thai darkness
which I spake of before. They will not know
themselves truly and humbly what they have
been heretofore, or what they are yet through
iin, nor how naught they are in their nature
208
The Scale of Perfection
ag-ainst God. They are not busy to enter into
themselves, all other outward ihing;s being" left
and flee all wicked stirrings that rise in their
hearts of Pride, Envy, Anger^ or other sins
through a lasting" desire to Jesua in praying
and meditating'^ in silence, and in weeping, and
in other corporal and spiritual exercises as de-
vout and holy men have done. But as soon as
they have forsaken the world, as it were out'
wardly in appearance, or else soon after, they
imagine that they are holy and able to have the
spiritual understanding; of the Gospel and of holy
Writ, and, namely, if they can liierally fulfil the
commandments cf Grod and keep themselves from
corporal sins, thi^n they imagine that they love
God perfectl}'. And therefore they will presently
preach and teach all other men, as if ihcy had re-
ceived grace of understanding in perfecdon of
charity through special gift of the Holy Ghost.
And also they are much mcire stirreil, forasmuch
as they feel sometimes much knowledge as it were
suddenly g-iven to them without great aludy be-
fore had, and also much fervour of love as ii
seemeth for to preach truth and righteousness to
their neighbour. Therefore they hold it as a
grace of God that visitetb them with His blessed
light above other souls* Nevertheless, if they
will look well about them, they shall find that
this light of knowledge and that fervour which
they feel cometh not from the true Sun, which
is our Lord Jesus, but cometh from the midday
fiend that feigneth light, and likeneth him to the
Sun, and therefore ahail he b& known by the
foresaid example-
Light of knowledge, that is feigned by the
fiend to a dark soul, is showed betwixt two black
rainy clouds. Whereof the upper cloud li pre*
The Second Book
20Q
sumption and exalting of himself, and the lower
cloud is the down-putting- and disdaining of his
neiiiihbour. Then whatsoever light of knowing
or feeling of fervour it be that shineih to a soul
with presumption anJ exalting of itself, and dis-
dain of his neighbour felt at the same timej it is
not the light of grace given of the Holy Ghost;
although the knowledge in itself be true, but it
is either from Che fiend, if it come suddenly, or
else from a man's own wit if it come by study,
and so it may easily bo known that this feigned
light of knowing i& not the light of the tme Sun.
Therefore, they that have this knowing on this
manner are full of spiritual pride, and see it not;
they are so blind with this feigned light that they
hold the exalting of their own heart and their
disobedience to the laws of holy Church as it
were perlect humility to the &o&pel and to the
]aws of Gad; and imagine that the following
of their own will to be freedom of spirit. And
thereupon they begin to rainj like bJack clouds,
waters of errors and heresies ; for the words that
they utter in preaching tend all to backbiting,
and to strife and discord, reproving of States
and of Persons ; and yet they say that all this
is chanty and zeal of the truth. But it is not
£o; for St Jnnus the Apostlff saith thus: Uhi
zclus csi d cunkniio, &c. — Where atvy is and con- si
ttnlimit ffiera is nnstahliiru^s and every evil wcrrk.
And therefore that knowledge that bringeth
forth such sins comdh not from (he Father of
lights^ that (s God^ hut is earthly, beastly and
dh^tUsh. And so by these tokens, namely, pride,
presumption, disobedience, indignation^ back-
biting and other such sins (for these follow
;tfterj may the feigned light be known from the
true. For the true Sun shineth not nor breaketh
U '
/flMf J iir-
2tO
The Scale of Perfection
Pt. xcvl
Maf, \\\
forth hy special visitation to pve Vight of under-
standing' or perfect charity to a soul, unless the
firmn.ment be first made brig-lit and clear &oni
clouds; that is, unless the conscience be made
clean throus^h tlie fire of burning desire to Jesus
in this d:trkness wljich wasteth and bunieth up
all wicked stirring-s of pride, vain-glory, wratb,
envy and all other sins in the soul. A^ the /Vt^
f/ip£ saiih : /^nis afik ipsum procrdd^ &t^ — A fire
shall gG ijs/orc him-, that is, desire of love shall
go belore Jesus in man's 5du1» afid it shall bum
all His enemies', that is, it shall waste all sins.
For except a j^ouI be first smitten down from the
height of itself by fear and humility, and be well
tried and burnt in this fire of desire, and as it
■werf purified from all spiritual fihli, through
long' time in devout prayers and other spiritual
exei'CLses, it is not able to bear the shinings of
spiritual light nor to receive the precious liquor
of perfect Idvo of Jesus, But when it is purified
and made subtle through this fire, then may it
receive the gracious light of spiritual knowing
and the perfection of love, whic'n is the true Sun.
Thus saith holy Writ i VMs qui h'rtjetis
Deum^ &c. — The trta Sun of Rt^hfeouTrprss^ that
is, our Lord Je^ius, shall sprifig (o ynu thai fear
Him; that is, to humble souls that humble them-
selves to their neighbour, through knowing of
their own wretchedness, and cast themselves
tlown under God by annihilating themselves in
their own substance through reverent fear and
spiritual beholding of Hira lastingly* for that
is perfect humility. Unto these souls the true
Sun shall spring, and enlighten their reason
to the knowing of Truth, and kindle their
affections \r\ tht f'lvour of love, and then shall
they both burn and shine, namely, burn in perfect
The Second Book
211
]ove throu§-h the virtue of this heavenly Sun.
and ^hintf in th*? knowledge of God and spiritual
things, for then be they reformed in feelingf.
Therefore, lie that would not be deceived, I
think it is good for htm to draw down himself
and hide himself in this darkness* First, from
intermeddling with other men, as I have said,
and iorg-et all the world if he can; and follow
Jesus with constant tlesire offered up in prayers
and meditating on Him. Ami then I believe
the light that cometh after this darkness ia
secure and true, and that it shineih out of the
city of 'JcrusaUm from the true Sun to a soul
that travelleth in darkness, and crieth after
light for to show her the right way and com-
fort her in travel. For I believe that after
true darkness goirg- before feigned light never
cometh. That is, if a man truly and fully set
himself to forsake the love of the worli.!, and
can through grace come to the feelini^ and
knowing- of himself, and hold himself humbly
in that feeling, he shall not be deceived with
any errors nor heresies nor fancies ; for all
these come in by the gate of pride. If then
pride can be stopped out, there shall no such
sin rest in a soul, and thouj^h they come and
proffer themselves, thoy shall not enter ; for
grace which the soul feeleth in this humble
darkness shall leach the soul truth, and show
it that all such profierings are from the enemy.
J
2i2
The Scale of Perfection
CHAPTER Vni
Howfrreal profit it 15 to the Soul lobe broustil throusH
Grace into lishtsomf Darkness, and how a Maiv
Bhail dispose himself If he will come thereio
There be many devout souls that through grace
come inCo this darlcness and feel the knowledge
of themselves, and yet know they not fully what
it is, and that ignorance is partly a hindrance to
them, They feel well often their thoughts and
their affections drawn out and separated from
the minding of earthly tnings, and brought into
great rest of a delectable softness, without pain-
ful troubling of vain thoughis or of their bodily
senses; and they feel that time so great a free-
dom of spirit thai thev can Chink on Jesus peace-
ably and offer up their Psalms and Pravers
mightily, savourly and sweetly 10 Him, as long
as frailty of bodily nature will suffer them. They
understand well that this feeling is good, but
they know not what it is. Therefore unto aH
such souls I say, as methinketh, that this
manner of feeling, though it be but short and
but seldom, it is really this darkness that I
speak of. For it is a feeling of themselves
firsts and a rising above themselves through
burning desire to the sight of Jesus; or else,
if I shall say more truly, this gracious feeling
is a spiritual sight of Jesus, And if they can
keep themselves in that rest, or bring it through
grace into a custom, so that thuy can litrhtly and
freely have it when they listj and hold them-
selves in it, they shall never be overcome by
temptation of the fiend, nor of the flesh, nor by
errors or heresies; for they are set in the gale
The Second Book
213
of Contemplaiion, able and ready to r«reive ibe
perfect love of Je^us. Uherefore he Oiat hath
it, it is good that he know it humbly, keep it
tenderlyj and- pursue it fervently, that no creature
let* him utterly frcm it, but that lie follow it
when he may. Ard that he forget and set at
nought all things that may put him from this,
if so be, he be at his own Jiberty^ and may do
what he will without scandal or offence to his
neighbour. Foi I tliink that he cannot come
to this rest lightly, unless he haili great plenty
of grace and 5^t himself to follow the motions
of grace, and that ought he to do; for grace
would ever be free, namely, from sin and worldly
business, and all nther things that let the work-
ing of it, though they are not sins,
Nevertheless, another soul that hath not yet
received this plenty of grace^ if he desire to come
to this spiritual knowing of Jesus, he must, as
much as in him lieih, en-ible himself 10 it. and
put away all lettin^s that obstruct grace as
much as he can. He must truly learn to die
to the world, and trulv forsake the love of it-
First, pride, both iptntual and corporal, that
he desire no worship, worldlv knowledge, nor
worldly craft, profits, nor riches, nor precious
clothing, nor worldly array^ nor anything by
which he may be honoured above other men;
he shall covet none of all llif?.se. But if they
be put upon him, take them with fear, so that
he be poor both outwanily and inwardly, or at
least fully inwardly in liis heart. And that he
covet to be forgotten of the world, and men re-
gard him no more, though he be never .so rich or
so A'ise, than the poorest man living. Also that he
sufFereth not his heart torpst in the hehoMine- of
• Hinder.
214
The Scale oi Perfection
his own deeds, or in his virt^ies, ima^iniriEr that
he doth better than another, in that he forsaketh
the world, which others do not, and theretbre he
selieih welJ by himself Also he muii leave all
rising's of heart, and evd will of anger and envy
against bis neighbour. And that he oiFend no
man, nor anger him indiscreetly by word or
deed ; nor give any man occasion whereby ht
may reasonably be angered, or moved, so thai
he may be free from every man. And also that
he forsake covetousness, that he covet right
naught of earthly goods^ but only crave his
bodily sustenance which he needech, and hold
himself well apaid, when God stirreth up other
men to give it him* And that he put no manner
of trust in the possession of any worldly goods,
nor in the help or favour of any worldly fnends,
but principally and fully in God; for if he doth
otherwise, he bindeth himself to the world, so
that he cannot be free to think on Jesus. And
also gluttony, and lechery, and all other fleshly
uncleanness must he utterly leave, that his affec-
tions be bound to no woman by fleshly familiarity;
for it is no doubi but that such blind love as is
sometime betwixt a man and a womeui, and
seemeth good and honest, fora^smuch as they
would not sin in act, is in the sight of God full
unclean and very great sin- P'or it is a great
sin for a man to suffer his affections, which
should be fastened to Jesus and to all His vir-
tues, and to all spiritual cleanness ^*^ ^^ bound
by any fleshly love willingly to any creature,
especially if it be sn much thai it beareth down
his thoughts, and maketh them unreslful that he
cannot have favour in God. And this I hold to
be done willingly, when a man doth it, though he
confess it to be a sin, or else when he is so blinded
Th« Second Book
215
with it that he will not see it. And also that
a man covet rot delights of meats and drii>ks
only for lust of his flesh, but be contented with
such as he can easily have without gre.it trouble;
namely, if he be in heallh with what meat will
put away hunger, and keep his body in ordinary
strength for the service of God, And that h©
grudge not, nor strive not, nor vex himself for
his meat, though sometime he be served not as
his ilesh desires. All these sins and all other
imisl he forsake utterly in his will, and in deed
when he can; and all other thing's that hinder
him, so that ht may dispose himself to think
freely on Jesus. For as long- as these letiings
and such other hang upon him, he cannot die 10
the world, nor come into this darkness of knowing"
of himself. And therefore that he may come
thereto, he must do all these things, as Sf Paul Gat. v
did, saying thus : TJti's Wi>r£d n slam and crtuifisd
to 7Tic, arid I lo the wi/rid. Thai is, he that hath
forsaken the love of the world in honours and
riches and in all other worldly things abovesaid,
for the love of God, and loveth it not, nor pur-
sueth it, but is well satisfied that he hath right
nought of it, nor verily would have thuugh he
might, veniy to him the world is dead, lor he
hath no favour nor delight therein. And if the
world set him at nought, and hath no regard
to him, nor favour, nor worship, and set no price
by him, but forgetteth him as a dead man, then
is he dead to the world. And in this pligfht was
St Paul set perfectly, and so must every other
man in part that would come to the perfect love
of God ; for he cannot live to God fully, unless he
die first to the world. This dying to the world is
this darkness, and it is the gate to Contemplation,
\ and to reforming in feeling, and none other than
2l6
The Scale of Pcrfcclcon
this. There may be many sundiy ways, and
several works letting and leading sundry souls
to ConlempUlion i for according lo divers dis-
posings of mi-n, and after divers states as are
religious and seculars, according as tliey are in,
arc there divers exercises in working. Never-
theless there is hut one gate; for whatsoever
exercise a soul useth, unless thereby he come
to this knowing, and to an humble fee^ling of
himself, and that is, that he be mortified and
dead to the worlJ, as to his love of it, and
that he may feel himself sometime in this rest-
ful darkness, by the which he may be hid from
the vanities of the world, as to the love of them,
and that he may feel himself what he is indeed,
he is not yet come to the reforming in feelings
nor hath he Contemplation fully. He is full far
from it, and if he will come to it by any other
gate, he is but a thief and a breaker of the wall,
and therefore siiall be cast out as unworthy.
But he that can bring himself lirst to nought
by the grace of humility^ and die on this manner,
he is in the gale ; for he is d^ad to the worlds and
he liveth to God. Of the which St Paul speak-
Wflj, \i\. eth thusi PV art d€ad. That is, ye that for the
love of God forsake all the love of the world, are
dead to the world, and Yuur Ufa is hid witft Christ
in God. That is, ye live spiritually in the love of
Jeaus, But your Jife is hid from worldly men, as
Christ liveth, find is hid in His Godhead from the
love and the sight of fle^hlv lovers.
This gate our Lord Himself showed in the
Ciosppl, when Hg said Thus : Evciy mart thai for-
sakefk for My love F-itft^r cr Motfw^ Sis/t-r &r
BroihcVy or ct'y ear! tly gomlt he sh>ili h'lze an
hundredfold in S^n's liU, artd afiem}a--d the bliss
of Hgave/K This hundredfold which a soul &hall
St M«it Kis.
The Second Book
217
havo, if he forsake the world, is nought but the
profit of ihih lightsome darkness, which I call
the gate of Cofift-mf>/iifw7i. For he that U in this
darkness, and is hid through grace from worldly
vanitj% he coveteth nothing of worldly goods, he
seeketh it not, he is not hindered therewith, he
looketh notaftrr it, he lovelli it not, and therefore
hath he an hundredfold more than the King^ or
than he that covt^teth most of worldly goods, for
he that coveteth nought but Jesus hath an
hundredfold, for he haih more rest, more peace
in heart, more true love and delight in soul in
one day, than ho that most coveteth of this world,
and hath all the wealth of it in his full possession,
hath all his life-time.
This is, then, a good darkness, and a rich
nought, that bringeth a soul to so much spiritual
ease, and so quiet softness, I suppose David
meant of this night, or this nought, when he
said thus : Ad nthilnm redtutns sum^ et fuscivi — /»r. UxiL
I was brought io iwnght^ mtd I knew t£ not. That
is, the grace of our Lord Jesus sent into my
heart haih slain in me, and brought to nought
all the love of the world, and I knew not how, for
not through any working of my own, nor by my
own wit had I it, but by the grace of our Lord
Jesns, And therefore mcthinkeCh that he that
would have the light of grace, and sweetly feel
the love of Jesus in his soul, he must forsake all
the false light or worldly love, and abide in this
darkne^is. And, nevertheles*, if he be fearful,
at first to continue therein, he must not turn
again to the love of the world, but suffer awhile,
ani put all his hope and his trust in Jesus, and
he shall not be long without some spiritual light.
Thus the Prophtl commandeth: Qui cmbulai tit Jtaittsix.
tenebm, &c. — JJc (hat walkcth in darkness and
2l8
The Scak of Perfection
hrjfh Tio light. Id him hope in our Lord^ and le£ him
rely ufcn his God. lliat is, whoso would hide
himself froai llie love of the world, and cannot
readily feel the light of spiritual love, let him not
despair, nor turn ag-ain to Che worlds but hope in
tiur Lord, and rely upon Him ; that is^ trust In
God, and clcavo to HLm by desire, and abide
awhile, and he shiill have light. For it falleth
out therein as it doth when a man hatli been a
great ■while in the sun, and after that cometh
suddenly into a dark house where no sun shineth,
he will be as it were blind, and see just nought.
But if he will abide awhile, he shall be able
presently to see about him; first great things,
and then small things, and afterwards all that is
ever in the house. Just so is it spiritually : he
that forsakcth tiie love of the world, and cometh
to himself into his own conscience, at first it is
somewhat dark and blind to his sight ; but if he
stand stilU and hold nut by serious praying, and
often meditating in the same will to the love of
Jesus, he shall be able afterwards to see both
great and small things which he knew not before.
This it secmeth the Prsphtt promtseth when he
/«!. hnil. saith thus: Oriciur in Unebris lux tua^ &€. — /«
darkness shall Ihy light spring w/, and thy darkfiess
sJmll be tfj w ^fi-day. and Iky L&rd God shall give
thae rest, and shall Jill thy soul -ajith lights. That
is, thou that truly forsaketh the light of all worldly
love, and hidest thy thought in this darkness,
light of blessed love and spiritual knowing of
God shall sprint^ up to thee, and thy darkness
shall be as midday ; that is, thy darkness of
painful de.sire, and thy blind Iru^t in God, that
thou hast at first, shall turn into clear knowledge,
and into security oHove, and thy Lord God shall
give rest to thee ; that is, thy fleshly desires, and
J
The Second Book
219
ihy painful fears and doubtSj and wicked spirits
that have before lime vexed thee, all these shall
grow weak, and lose much of their might, and
Ihou Shalt be made so strong that they shall not
trouble thee, for thou shalt be hid in rest irom
Ibern. And thf?n shall our Lord fulfil thy soul
with shinings ; that is, when thou art brought
into this spiritual rest, then shalt thou more
easily attend to God, and do nought else but
love Him, and then shall He fill all the powers
of thy soul with beams of spiritual light. Wonder
not that I call tlic forsaking- of worldly love a
darkness, for the FrophEi talleth it so, saying
thus to a soul '.—Infni tn Urubras tuas filia Vhal- /j„,-„ ^]^^i_
d(£arum — Go ifiia thy darkness, thou daughter of
C ha Idee ^ That is, thou soul that art as a
daughter of Chaldet through love of this world,
forsake it, and gD into thy darkness.
CHAPTER IS
Thil the forking of our Lord Jceu« in the Reforming
oE A ScuU 13 divided into four times, which arei
Calling^ >uslifying. Magnifying and Gloriiyiog
I^, I have told thee a little, hew, if thou covet
to be reformed in feeling, thou shalt dispose
thyself towards thy forihgoing. Nevertheless I
do not say that thou canst do thus of thyself i
for I know well that it is our Lord Jesus that
bringeth all this to the end where He pleaseth.
For He only, through Ili,^ grace* sllrreth up a
jioul, and bringeth it first into this darkness and
then into light, as the Prophd saith: SictU te- Pt. ckxxvIiL
7iehra* ejus, sta e£ iumtn eju^. That is, just
as the light of knowing and the feeling of
spiritual love is from Jesus, just ^o the dark-
220
The Scale of Perfection
ness, that is, the forsaking of worldly love, is
from Him, for He doth all. He fomitth and
reformeth. He formeth only by Himself, bur
He reformeth us with us; for grace given, ard
the applying our will to grace doth work all
this. And io what mannnr this is done, Sf
'jfom.vhi. Ptiui rehearses thus: Quos Ot^us ^nrsaz'tf, <^c. —
T^hase Tofiom God foreknew shuuid be madt csn-
formablc io the Ima^e of Hts S<?/i, thof^e He called;
and ivhorn He calUd thost He justified; and wham
He justified those He glorified. Though these
words may be understood of all chosen souls
in the Icwest degree of charity, who are re-
formed only in faith ; nevertheless they may-
be understood more especially of those souls
that are reformed in feeling, to whom our Lord
God showelh great plenty of grace, and is much
more busy about them ; for they are in a special
manner His own children, who bear the full
shape and the likeness of His Son Jesus. In
these words iS'/ Paul dividetli the working of
our Lord into four times.
The first is the time of calling of a soul from
worldly vanity, and that time is often easy and
comfortable; for in the beginning of turning
such a man that is disposed to much grace, is
so quickly and so feelingly inspir^^d, and feeleth
often so great sweetness of devotion, and hath
so many tears in compunction that he think^th
sometimes that he is half in Heaven; but this
ease passeth away after for a lime. And then
Cometh the s^-cond time, namely, the lime of
jt£s/f/yir/^y which is laborious. For when he
beginneih to go fonh mightily in the waiV of
righteousness, and seiteth his will fully against
all sin outward and inward, and siretcheth out
his desires to virtues and to the love of Jesus,
The Second Book
221
then feeleth he much letting: both within him-
self from the frowardness and hardness of his
own will, and from without throug-h the tempta-
tion of his enemy, that he is oft in full great
torment, and that is no wonder : for he hath
so long- been crooked towards the false love
of the world, that he cannot be made straight,
as a crooked staff cannot be made even, unless
it be cast and wrought by the fire* Therefore
our Lord Jesus, knowing what is fit for a fro-
ward soul, suffereth it to be tormented and
letted by sumlry tf-mptations, and to be tried
soundly by spiritual tribulations that all the
rust of UEicltjanness may be burnt out of itn And
this shall be done both inwardly with fears and
doubts and perplexities that it shall almost fall
into despair, and shall seem as ir were forsaken
of God, and wholly left in the hands of the fiend
(saving only a little secret trust that it shall
have in the goodness and mercy of God, for
that secret trust our Lord leaveth in such a
soul, though he go never so far from it, by
the which the souL is borne up from despair,
and saved from spiritual mischief], and out-
wardly also it shall be mortified and pained
in tb(? sensuality, either by divers stcktiesses,
or by feeble torm^^ntings of the enemy; or else
by a secret working of God the silly soul
through feeling and bearing of the wretched
body shall be so pained that it shall despair
almost of suflTerin^ or continuing" in the body,
unless our Lord Himself keep it therein, And
yet, notwithstanding, the soul had rather be in
all this pain than to be blinded with the false
love of the world, for that would be hell to
such a soul; but the suffering of this man-
ner of pain iii only Purgatory, and there-
I Jll^t. VL
222
The Scale of Perfection
^
I
fore he suffereth it gladly. And he would
not put it away thuugli he might, because it
is so profitable. All this doth our Lord in
great profit to a soul to drive It out of its
sensuality, that it may receive spiritual light;
for after this, when a soul is thus mortified,
and brought from worldly love into this dsu-k-
ness, that it hath no more savour nor delight
of worldly liking than of a straw^ but thinketh
it bitter as worm^vood, then cometh the third
time of Ml} unifying : and tlial is, when a soul
is reformed in feeling' in part, and receiveth
the gift of pcrfccuon^ and the grace of Con-
templation, and ihat is a time of great rest;
for llien r^ Je^u^ more familiar with a soul.
And after tliis cometh a fourth time of Giori-
fying; that \% when a soul shall be fully re-
lormcd in the bliss of heaven. For these souls
that are thus called from sin, and thus Jusdfied^
or else on any other manner by divers trials
both through fire and water, and afterwards
are thus m^gnilied, they shall be glorified, For
our Lord shall then give them fully what they
roveted here ; and more than they could covet ;
for He shall raise them above all other chosen
souls, to bG equal with cherubim and seraphim,
seeing* thev passed all other in knowing and
loving of txod here in this life.
Therefore he that will come to this magni-
fying must not be afraid of this justifying, for
that is the way ; for our Lord sailh by His
Prophet a word of great comfort to all such
souls that are tried with the fire of tribulation
'/«i»xliiiH thus E Puer mois noli Umere, df^c—A/y child,
if ihoH pass ihritugh ftn fear not^ Jor ihe fl<im€
shall rot hurl thee^ It shall cleanse thee from
all fleshly fihh, and make thee able to receive
I
The Second Book
223
spiritual fire of the love of God, and this must
first be done; for as I said before it cannot
othenviae be reformed in feeling.
CHAPTER X
How it fdll^th oiJl sometimes th^il Souls (fiat itt but
beginning or profiling in Grace seem to have
more Love, as to oulwirJ lokena thereof^ than
Home have (hat be perfect, and yet il is not re^y
BO id chetr Inlerior
But now thou wilt say, how can this be true?
For there be many souls newly turned to God
that have many spiritual ieclings ; some have
great compunction for their sin'*, and some have
great devotions and fervours in their prayers,
and often have sundry teacliirgs of spiritual
light in understanding", and some men have
other kind of feelings of comfortable heat and
great sweetness ; and yet thE?se souls never come
fully into this restful darkness, which I speak of.
\i-ith fervent desire and la^^ting love and thought
on God, And herejpon thou ask^^st whether
these houls be reformed in feeling or no. And
il seemeth yes, iriasmuch as they have such great
spiritual feelings, which other men who stand
only in faith feel not.
Unto this I answer, as methinketh, that these
spiritual feelings, whether thpy ^tand in com-
punction or devotion, or in spiritual imagination,
are not the feelings which a soul shall have and
feel in the grace of Covkmpiatmi. I say not but
that they are true and graciously given of fiod.
But these souls that feel such are not yoC re-
formed in feeling, nor have as yet the gift of
perfection nor the spiritual burning love of Jesus
224
The Scale of Perfect!*
as they may arrive to. And nevertheless, k often
seemeth otherwise, that such souls feel more of
the Icve of God than others that ha;'e the gift
of pc-ifeclion, inasmuch as the feeling showeth
more outwardly by great fervour of bodily tokens
in weepings praying, kneeling and speaking, and
other bodiJy stirrings, so far forth that it seemetK
to another man rhat they were even ravisht-d in
love. Though J, for my part, do not think them
so, fcr I will understand that these kind of feel-
ings and fervours of devotion and compunction
that these men feel are gracious gifts of God sen
into chosen sovils to ilraw them out of worldl
love and fleshly lust, which hath long time be
rooted in their hearts, from the which love they
would not be drawn out but by such feeble ro
tions of great fervours.
:nt^
And the reason why this fervour is so niuc
in outward showing is not only frcm the great-
ness of that love which they have, but from th
Iitt]enes5 and weakness of their soul, that cannot
bear a little touching of God ; for it U yet, as it
were, fleshly, fastened to the flesh, and never was
yet parted from it by spiritua.1 mortification ; and
therefore the least touching of love, and the least
sparkle of spiritual light sent from Heaven into
such a soul is so much and so comfortable and
so delectable above all the likings that ever it
feic before in fle&hly love of earthly things, that
she is, as it were, overcome with it. And also
it is so new and so sudden and so unaccustomed
to her that she is not able to bear it. but bnrstcth
and breaketh out into werping-. sobbing and other
bodily stirrings. Just as a barrel that is old,
when it reccivcth new wine thai is fresh and
strong, the barrel swelleth out and is ready to
I
4
The Second Book
215
cleave and burst until the wine hath boiled and
purged out all uncleanness ; but as soon as the
wine is hned and cleared, then it standeth aiill
and the barrel whole; just so a soul that is old
throug'h sin, when it recelveth a little of the love
of God, which is so fresh and slrong^ that the
body is in point to cleave and to break were it
not that God keepeth it whole* But yet it bursc-
eth out at the eyes by weeping, and at the mouth
by speaking, which is more tor weakness and
feebleness of ihe soul than through greatness
of love. For afterwanl, when love hath boiled
all uncleanness out of the soul by such great
fen'ours, then is ihe love clear and standeth still.
And then is both the body and ihe soul much
more in peace. And yet hath the soul imich
more love than it had before, though it show
less outwardly; for it is now all whole in rest
within, and but little in outward showing of fer-
vour. And therefore I say that these souls that
feel such great bodily Fervours, though they be
in much grace, are not yet reformeJ in feclin^'f
but they are greatly disposed towards ii. For
I trow that such a man, namely, that hath been
greatly deliled in sin, sJiaU not be refurmed in
feelingj unless he be first burnt and purified with
such g^reat compunctions going before-
Anoiher soul that never was much defiled
with the love of the world, but hath ever been
kept from great sins in innocency, maj" li^htlier
and more privily, without great fervour showed
outwardly, come to this reforming. Then is this
true, as I hope, that such comforts and fervours
that a soul feeleth in a state of its beginning,
or of its profiting, are» as it were, his spiritual
food sent from Heaven for to strengthen him in
15
226
The Ecale of Perfection
his journey. Even &s a Ptlgtim travelleth all
day meatless and drinkless, and is naar-at-hand
overcome with weariness, falleih at last to a gfood
inn, and there hath he meat and drink, and is
well refreshed for the time, rig'hC ?o is it
spirituallr. A devout soul, iViat will forsake
the love of the world, and would fain Jove God
and setleih all her business thereto, praveth and
exerciseth all day bodilv and spirituallv, and
sometimes feeleth no coniforl nor savour in de-
votion ; then our Lord, having pily on all His
creatures, chat they should not perish for want,
nor fall into heaviness or trudging', sendeth to
it, among other things, His spiritual food, and
comfortetn it in devotion as Re plea^eth. And
when the soul feeleih any comfort, then doth
she hold herself well paid for all her travail
and all the suffering it had on the day, when
ii fareth well at night by feeling of any grace.
Also in the same manner falleih it out with
other souls that are profiting and proceeding well
forward in grace, Ttiese feel oftentimes gracious
touchings of the Holy Ghost in their soul, both
in understanding and sight of spiritual things,
and in affection of love. But yet be they not
reformed in feeling, nor are ihey yet perfect : for
why? All such feelings come to them in that
state as it were unawares, for they come to them
ere they think of them, and go from them before
they think \ and they cannot come by such things
again, nor wot ihey where they may find them ;
for they have not as yet any familiarity with
them, of thought and lasting desire in Jesua.
Nor is the eye of their soul opened to the be-
holding of spiritual things, but they draw well
toward it; and therefore they ^re not yet re-
formed \\\ feeling nor have yet tlie full gift of
ConUmplaiian.
The Second Book
227
CHAPTER XI
After what manner a Man shall came to know his
own Soul, and how a Man should set his Love
in Jesus, God and Man ir one Person
A SOUL that would know spintual thingfs needs
first to have the knowledg^e of itself; for stie can-
not have the knowledge of a thing that i^ above
herself, unless ^he have first the knowledge of
herself- Anil that is when the soul is so gathered
into herself, aud separated from beholding of all
earthly thing'i and from the use of her bodily
senses, that she feeleih herself as she is in her
own kind, which is without a body. Then, if
thou covet for to know and see thy soul what it
is, ihou shalt rot turn thy thought with imagi-
nation irto thy body, to seek it and feel it a^ it
were hid within thy heart, as thy heart is hid and
liolden vvilhin thy body. If thou seek in that
manner, thou shalt never find it in itself. The
more thou seekest for to find and feel it as thou
wouldst feel a bodily thing, the farther thou art
from it. For thy soul is no bodily thing, but
a life invisible, not hid and holden within thy
body, as a less thing is hidJen and holdcn with-
in a greater; but it holdeth and quickeneih thy
body, and is much qreater in mivht and virme
than is thy body. It then thou wilt iind it, with-
draw thy thoughts from all bodily things outward,
and from minding of ihy own body, also from all
thy fis'e senses, as much as thou canst, and think
on the nature of a reasonable soul spiritually, as
thou wouldst think lor to know any virtue, as
justice, humility or any other. Right so think
that a ^oul is a life immortal, invisible, and
228
The Scale of Perfection
hath in itself a power tf> know the sovereign
verity, and for to love the sovereign goodness,
which is God ; when thou seest this, then feclest
thou somewhat of thyself. Seek thyself in none
other place, but the more fully, the more clearly
that thou thinkest of ihe nature and th^ worthi-
ness of a reasonable sou!, what it is and what is
the kindly working of it, the belter scest thou
thyself.
It is full hard for a soul that is rude and
much in the flesh fur to have sight and knowledge
of itself or of ar» ang-el or ot God. It falleih
presently to the imagining of a bodily shape,
and it weeneth thereby to have the sight of it-
self^ and in like manner [if GoJ, aiiJ of spiritual
things. And that may not be, for all spiritual
thing-s are seen and known by the understand-
ing of the soul, not by the imagination. Right
as a soul seeth by her understanding, that the
virtue of righteousness is to give to everything
that which ho ought to ha^e ; right so, and on
such a manner may the soul see itself by the
understand ing-
Nevertheless, I say not that ihy soul should
rest still in thi*; knowing, but it shall by this
seek a higher knowledge above itielf» and that
is the nature of God, for the soul is but a
glass/ in the which thou shouldst see God spiri-
tually. And theri^fore thou shalt first find thy
glass and keep it bright and clean from fleshly
filth and worldiv vanity, and hold it well up
from the earth, that thou mayest see it and our
Loril therein also, i-or to this end do all chosen
souls travail in this life, in their menning and
in th»ir intent, though they have not the specUl
feeling of th's. And therefore it is s:iid before
• Mirror,
The Second Book
229
that many souLs beginning' and profiting have
many great fervours, and much sweet devotion,
and as it seemeth are all burning in love, and
yet have they not love perfectly nor spiritual
knowledge of God, For be tlioti well a'isiired
that though a soul feel never so much fervour,
even so much that he thinketh hi^ body cannot
bear it; or though he melc all into weeping,
as long a^ his thinking and his beholding of
God is for the most part or all in imagination,
and not in the understanding, he is not yet
come to perfect love nor to CoTJlempItdimi.
For thou shalt understand that the love of
God is in three manner of ways : all of which
are good, but each one is better than the other
The first cometh only through Faiih, without
gracious imagination or spiritual knowing of
God, This love is in the least soul that is re-
form^J in Faith, in tht; lowest degree of charity;
and it is good, tor it sufEceth to salvation. The
seiond \% that which a soul feeleth through faith
and imagination of Jesus in His Manhood.
This love is better than the first, when the
imagination is stirred by grace, for then the
spiritual eye is opened in beholding of our
Lord's humanity. The third love that a soul
fceltth througrH spiritual sight of the Godhead
in the humanity, as i: may be seen here, is the
best and most worth v, and that is perfect
love. Tltfs love a souj feeleth not, until it be
reformed in feeling. Soids beginning and profit-
ing have rot this love, for ihey cannot think
on Jesus nor love Him spiritually, butj as it
were, all manly and fleshly after the coniiitions
and likene*is of a man; and accordingly they
frame all their working in their thoughts and
r Him as a man.
They
^3r>
The Scale of Perfccfioi
and worship Him and love Him principally by
the imagination of His humanity, and go m
further.
As thus: If they have done amias and tres-,
passed against God, tlipy think then that God
is an^ry with them, as a man would be if they
had trespassed againsL him ; and therefore they-
fall down, as it were, at the feet of our Lord
with sorrow of heart, and cry Him mercy- And
when they have done thus, they have a good
trust that our Lord of His mercy will forgive
them their trespass. This manner of doings is
right good, but it is not spiritual as it mii^ht
be. Also when they would worship God, thev
present themselves in their thoui^hts, as if they
were before our Lord's face in a bodily likeness,
and imagine a wonderful light there where our
Lord Jesus is, and then they reverence Ilim,
and worship Hinin and fear Him, and fully put
them into His mercy for to do with them what
He will. Also when they would love God, they
behold Him, worship Him, and dread Him as
a man (not yet aa God in the humanity^, either
in His Passion, or in some other thing in His
humanity, and in that beholdino: they feel their
hearts much stirred to the love of God-
This manner of working is good and gra-
ciousi but it is much less and lower than 13
the working" of the understanding : that is, wlien
the soul graciously beholdeth God in man^ for
in our Lord Jesus are two natures, the Humanity
and the Divinity. Ard as the Divinity is more
sovereign and more worthy than ihe Humanity,
right so the spiritual beholding of the Diviniiy
in Jesus Man is more worthy, and more spiri-
tual^ and more meritorious than the beholding
The Second Book
231
of the Humanity alf>ne, whether he behold the
Humanity as mortal or as gJorified, And right
so by the same rea-son the love which a soul feel-
eth in thinking' and beholLTing' of the Divinity in
the ManhooJ, when it is gracio-uslv showed, is
more worthy, more spiritual, and more meri-
torious than the fervour of devotion, that the
sou! feeleth by the imagination only of the
humanity, show it never so much outwardly;
for in reg:ard of that of the Divinity, this of
the Humanity is but a human thing-. lor our
Lord showcih not Himself in the imagination
as He [5, nor that lie is, for the soul cannot
at Ihat time for frailty of the flesh suffer it so,
Nevertheless unto such souls that cannot
meditate on the Divinity spiritually, that they
may not err in their devoiion, but that th^y
should be comfortdd and strengthened bv some
manner of inward beliolding of Jesus to for-
sake sin and the love of the world, wherefore
our Lord Jesus tempereth this invisible lisfht
of His Godhf'ad, and clotheth it under bodily
likeness of His Afanhood. and showeth it unto
the inner eye of the soul, and feedeth it with
the love of His precious flesh spiritually. The
which love 1^ of so j;Teat mighC, that it'slayeth
all wicked love in the soul, and strengthens it
for to sillier bodily penance and other bodily
difficulties in the time of need for the love of
Jesus. And this is the shadowing' of our Lord
Jesus over a chosen soul, in which shadowing-
the soul is kept from the burnincf of worldly
love; for as a shadow is made of a light and
of a bodv, even so this spiritual shadow is
made of the blessed invisible light of the God*
head, and of the Manhood united thereto showed
to a devout soul, Of the whicb shadow the
232
The Scale of Perfection
Lam.iv. /Vtfj^Atf/ sailh tliust Sptritus an£g Jaciem nostram,
&c. — Ortr Lord Christ hcf&re our face ns a Sptrtt^
Hndn His shfuimv w£ shall live among /oiks. Thai
is, our Lord Jesus in His Godhead is a spirit,
that cannot be seen of us living' in the flesh
as He is in His blessed light, therefore wt'
shall live under the shadow of His Manhood
AS long as ^ve are here.
But though that this be true that this love
in imagination is g"ood i nevertheless a soul
should desire to have i^pirilual love in under-
standing of the Godhead; for that is the end
and the full bliss of the soul, and all bodily
beholdings are but means leading a soul xo it.
I say not that we should refuse the Manhood
of Jesus, and separate God from man; but thou
shall in Jesus Man> behold. fear> admire and
love spiiHiually the (iodhpad, and so shall thotj,
without separating them, love God in man, and
both God and man spiritually and fleshly- Thus
our Lord taught Alary M.t^d<ilen to do like a Lott-
tcmptative, when He said thus; Noli mc (angdrtt
<^£. — Tottch me not : lam not yet csc^ndid (& My
Father, The meaning is this ; Alary Aiagdaiat
loved our Lord Jesus well before the time of His
Passion, but her Jove was much bodily and little
jipirituah She undi^rstood well that He was
God| but she loved Htm but little as God ; for
she could not then, and therefore she suffered
all her affection and ad her thoughts to fall
on Him as He was in form of man. And our
Lord blamed her not then, but praised it much.
But alter when He was risen from death, and
appeared to her, she would have worshipped
Him with the same manner of love as she did
before, and then our Lord forbade her, and
said ttitLs: Touch Me hqL That is, set not thy
^
The Second Book
233
rest nor the love of thy heart on that form of
man which thou seest with thy fleshly eye, for
10 rest therein only, for in that form I am not
ascended up to My Father; that is, I am not
equal to the Father, that is, the form of the
Godhead ; and love Me, know Me and worship
Me as God and Man, godly, not aa a man,
manly, so shalt thou touch Me, For since I
am both God and Man, and all tlio reason why
I am to be beloved and witrshipped is, for that
I am God, and for that 1 took the nnture of
man ; and therefore make Me a God in thy
heart and in thy love, and worship T^te in thine
understandings as Jesus, God and Man, the
sovereign verity and the sovereign goodness,
and blessed life ; for I am so. And thus our
Lord tauE^ht her, as I untlersland. and also all
other souls that are disposed to Confivipiafic^i^ and
enabled thereto that they should do so. Neverthe-
less other souls are not so skiJfiilj* nor are yet
made spiritual throupli grace, it \^ pood for them
that they keep on thtir own working" in imagina-
tion, with affections towards our Saviour's Hu-
manity, until more grace come freely to them,
11 is not safe for a man to leave any good thing
utterly, until he see and feel a better.
In like manner may it be said of other kind
of feeling;s that are like to bodily, as hearing
of delectable song's, or feeling of comfortable
heat in the body, seeing- of light, or sweetness
of bodily savour- These are not spiritual feel-
ing's ; for spiritual feeling's are felt in the powers
of the soul, principally in the understanding,
and in love» and little in the imagination. But
these feelinj^s are felt in the powers of the body
in the imaginationi and therefore are not spirituaJ
* SubLle ill kind.
^34
The Scale of Perfection
Aett ii.
feeling's. But when they are even at best, and
most true, yet are they but outward tokens of
the inward grace which is felt in the powers of
ihe 5oul. This may be plainly proved out of Holy
Writ, saying thus i Apf^arutrunt Aposioiis, ^c. —
'J he Holy Ghosi appeared (a ihe Apostles on ihe day
of P^tUcost in the Uksruss of buruirtg ton^u^^ and
inflamed their hearts, and sat upmi each of them.
Now ic is true that the Holy Gho<t, which is
God in Himself invisible, was not that fire nor
these tongues that were seen, nor that burning
which was felt bodily, but ?le was invisibly felt
in the powers of their souls, for He enliyht*
ened thetr rea.^^on and enkindled their affections
through His blessed presence so clearly and so
burningly, that they had suddenly the spiritual
knowledge of truth, and the perfection of love, gs
our Lord promised them, saying thus: Spintiti
Satictus docebii vos, &c. — TJi'e Hoiy Spirit sh^i!
teach ymt all truth. Tliai fire and that burning
then was nought eUe but a bodily token show
outwardly in witnessing of that grace which w
fell inwardly- And as it was in tlT?m, so is Jt
other souls that are visited and li>:htened within
of the Holy Ghost, and have withal such out-
ward feelings for comforting them and witness-
ing of their inward grace. But yet 1 do n
chink thai such grace is in all souls that
perfect^ but only where our Lord pleaselh.
Oiher imperfect souls that have such feelin
outwardly, and have not yet received inward
grace, it is not ^qoA for them to rest ia such
outward feelings, but only inasmuch as they help
the soul to more love, and to more stableness of
thouejht in God ; for some m:iy be true aad some
may be fc-ignedj as I have said before,
ng
I in
pUt-
^ss-
THE THIRD BOOK
CHAPTER I
In what S^nse this Manner of Speaking ol Reforming
of a Soul in FeeJing is to b*: understood; and
in what Manner it is reformed, and how il is
foiiod in St Paul's Writings
I HAVE herelofore told thee somewhat of re-
forming' in Faith, and also I have touched
concerning thy proceeding from that reforming'
to a higher reforming which is in feeling. Not
that 1 would by these discour-^e[> limit God's
working" hy the law of my speaking, as to say
that God worketh thus in a soul and no other-
wise. No, I mean not so, but 1 speak after my
simple feeling that our Lord worketh thus in
some treaiurea as I conceive. And I hope well,
also, thai He worketh otherwise, which passeth
my wit and my feeling. Nevcrthelefis, whether
He worketh thus or otherwise by several ways,
in longer time or shorter, with much travail or
little^ if all come to one end, that is, the per-
fect love of Him, then is it good enough. For
if He will give one soul on one day the full
grace of Cmifcmplatio^j ^ and without any travail,
as He well may ; as good is that to that soul
as if he had been tried, pained,* jriortiPed and
purified twenty years. And therefore in this
manner take my saying's as I ha^-e said, and
namely as I meant to say them. For now by
the grace of our Lord Je^us shall I speak a
"36
The Scale of Pcrftclion
little as methinkelh more plainly of reforming
in feeling, what it i»« ^nd how it is made, and
what are spiriiua] feelings which a soul re-
ceiveth. Yet in the first place, that I may not
be undc-rstood to make this manner of speaking
of reforming of a soul in feeling as a fiction or
fancy of my own, 1 shall ground it on Si Path's
words, where he saiih thus: Noiife coji/ormart
huic sacuh^ &£» That is, ye that are through
grace reformed in Faith, conform not yourselves
henceforward to the manner of the world, in
pride, in covetousness and in other sins, &u/ &
jP#nf, xii. y^ reformed in fienuitss cj jeHing* Lo, here thou
mayest see that St Pttul ^peake^h of reforming in
feeling; and whdt thai newness oi feeling is he
expoundeth in another place thus: £// iwj*/ft)-
mmi tn agnittonc. dfc. That is : We fray Gvd
thai ye muy he fiU/tligd in k'nntiing of Gild's wUl
tn all tinckrsi<mdin^ tiuii tn ail maniitr (ff spirituai
CqL\, Wisdojn, This is reforming in feeling; for thoU
must understand th:it the &oui hath two manners
of feelings, one without by the five bodily senses;
another within of the spiritual senses, which are
properly the faculties of the soul — memory,
understanding and will. When these facuUies
are through grace fulfilled in all understanding
of the will oi' God and spiritual wisdom, then
hath the souL new gracious feelings. That this
is so he ihoweth in another place, thus: Reno-
vamitn sftrttu mentis z'estri, &'c. — Beyi^ r^nctt'cd ift
Bph. \\\ the spinl of your souL That is, ye shall be re-
lormed, not in bodily feeling nor in imagination,
but in the upper part of your reason. Andh^
clothed luiih ihe 7irw mtin, that is skapen afUr God
jft righlif>usness, hcliness and Iruth. ihat is,
your reason, which is proDC^Hv the image of
* In novitate Beii>iu&.
The Third Book
237
God, throug^h grace of Ihe Holv Gho.st, shall be
clothed in a new lli^ht of truth, holiness and
righteousness, and then is it reformed in feeling.
For when the &011I hath perfect knowledg-e ol
God, then is Jt reformed. Thus saith S£ Paul:
ExpcUatiUs veUrem iwminan, &c.- — Spoil year id/
of the old man unih aii his dtrds. That is, ca&t
from you the love of the \vorM with all worldly
manners, and clothe you ^ttk ike ncus man, 'i hal
is, you shall be renewed in the knowing of God,
after the likeness of Him that made you.
By these worJs thou inaye&t undertpiaiid that
St Paul would have men's souls reformed in
perfect knowleJg'e of God, for that is the new
feeling- which he speaketh of gi^nerally. And
therefore upon his words I shall speak more
plainly of ihis reforming as God shall give me
grace. For there be two mannetii of knowmg
of God.
One is had principally in imagination, and
little in understanding, This knowing is in
chosen souls beginning and profiting in grace,
who knf>w God, and love Him humanly (not
spiritually} with huT-an affeciions, and with a
corporal imaye of His Humanity, as I have
spoken before*
This knowing is good, and is likened to milk,
by which they arc tenderly n^jurished as children
until they be able to come la the Father's table,
and lake from His hand substinttai bread.
Another knowing is principally felt \a the
understandincr, and little in ima'^in-ition ; for the
understanding is the lady, and the imagination
is the tnaid, serving th<i uiiderstnnding when
need is. Thi!5 knowiJif^ is s.jlid bread meet for
perfect soula, and is reforming in feeling"
CoL ill.
238
The Scale of Perfection
CHAPTER n
How God openf tb thf inward Eyt oi iht Scul to sec
Him, not all at once, but by divers limes, and of
thre? Manners of reforming oi a Soul esplained
by a familiar Ex^mpl^
A SOfL that IS called from the love of the world,
and aftpr that is rig-hted, tried and mortifted and
parifitdi as I have said before, our Lord Jesus
of His merciful g-oodness reformeili it in feelintj
when He plcaseth. He openeth the inner eye
of the snul, when He enliv'hteneth her reason
through the touching and sliininE: of His blessed
light for to see Him and know Ilim, not all fully
at once, but by Utile and little, by divers times,
as the soul is able lo bear it. He seeth Him not
what He is, for that c^n no creature do in Heaven
nor in earth. Nor sceth he Him as He is, for
that sight is only in the bliss of Heaven, But
he seeth Him that He is an unchangeable being,
a supreme power, a sovereign truth, supreme
goodness, a blessed life, an endless bliss. This
£eeth a soul« and much more that cometh withal
not blindly and nakedly and nn^avourlv. as doth
a learned man, that knoweih and seeih Him onlv
by his learning, through might of his naked
reason ; but he seeth Him in tinderstanding,
tliat 15, comforted and lighted by the gift of the
Holy Ghost, with a wonderful reverence, and
a secret burning love, and with a spiritual sa-
vour and heavenly delfgiU, more clearly and
more fully than can be written or spoken.
This siijht, though it be but short and little,
IS so wonhv and so mighty that it draweth and
ravi^heth all the auctions of the soul from be-
The Third Book
139
holding and minding of all earthly things to it-
self, for to rest therein evermore if it could. And
upon this kin(3 of sight and knowing the soul
gToundeth all its workinjii' inward in all the affec-
tions; for then she wor^nhippeth God in the hu-
manity, as verity; wondereth at Him, as power
and might ; loveth Him, as goodness. l"his
sight and this goodness, and this knowing of
Jesup, with the blessed love that cometh oui of
it, may be called reforming of a soul in feeling
and in faiih, which 1 have spoken of. It is in
faith, for it is dark yet in comparison of that full
knowing of Jesus, with the blessed love that
cometh out of it, that shall be in Heaven. For
then shall we !^ee Him, not only that He is, but
as He is, as S£ ^Qkn saJth : Tunc Tid^bimus ttum
sicui est — Thcti shall we sec Him as lit is. Never- ' St Jehn
iheles5 it is in feeling al.so, as in regard of that
blind knowing that a soul halh standing only in
faith, for this soul knoweth somewhat of the very
nature of Jesus as God through this gracious
sight, which that other in faith knoweth not, but
only believeth it to be truth.
Nevertheless* that thou mayest the better
conceive what 1 mean, I shall show these three
manners of reforming of a soul by example of
three men standing' in the light of the sun. Of
the which one is blind, anottier can see, but hath
his eyes stopped, tlie third looketh forth with full
sight. The blind man hath no manner of know-
ledge that he is in the sun, but he believeth it if an
honest man tell him so ; and he betokenelh a soul
that is only reformed in Faith, that believeth in
God as holy Church teacheth, and understandeth
not what. This sufficeth as to salvation. That
other man seeth a light of the sun, but he seeth
it not clearly what it is, for his eyelid letteth him
u
24°
The Scale of Perfection
that he cannot see: but he seech chroug'h the lids
of his eyes a glimmering- of great light. And
thTs man betokeneih a soul Chat is reformed in
Faith and in feeling, and so he is Cofttcmpiativi,
for he seeth somewhat of the Godhead of Jesus
throug*h (Trace, not clearly nor fully; for ihe lid,
that is, his bodily nalure^ is yet a wall betwixt
his nature and the nature of Jesus God, and let-
teth him from the clear sight. But he seeth
through this wall, after that grace toucheth him
more or less, that Jesus \% God, and tiiat Jesus is
sovereign g^oodness, aiid sovereign being, and
ablessed life, and that all other goodness cometh
from Him* Thus seeth the soul by grace, nol-
wichstanding its bodily nature, and the more
clean and subtle that the soul is made, and the
more it is separated from 5ensuality» the sharper
sight it hath and the greater love of the Divinity
of Jesus, This sight i^ so mighty that though
no other man living should believe in Jesus, nor
love Him, yet would he rever bclies'c the less,
nor love Him the less, for he seeth it so certainly
that he cannot but believe it.
The third man that hath full sight of the sun,
he believeth it not, for he seeth ii fally. And he
betoUeneCh a full blessed soul, that without any
wall of bis body or of sin, seeth openly the face
of Jesus in the bliss of Heaven. Ihere is no
faith, and therefore he is fully reformed in feel'
ing. There is no state above the second reform-
ing that a soul can come to here in this life, for
this is the slate of perfection and the way to
heavenward. Nevertheless^ ail the souls that
are in this state are not all alike in degrees ; for
some have it little, short and seldom ; and some
longer, clearer and o^tener; and some have it
best of aLlf clearest and longest, according to the
The Third Book
241
abounding of grace, and yet all these have the
gift of Contempiatjon. For the soul hath not per*
feet sight of Jeaus all at once, but at first a little
and a little, and aFier that it profiteth and cometh
to more feeling ; and as long as it is in this life
it groweth more in knowing, and in this love of
Jesus- And verily I know not what can be more
desirable to such a soul that hath felt a little of
it, than utterly to leave it and set at nought all
other things, for to hold only thereto, to have
a dearer sight and clearer love of Jesus, in whom
is all the Blessed Trinity-
This manner of knowing of Jesus, as I under-
stand> is the opening of Heaven to the eye of
a clean soul, ol which holy men speak in their
wrilings. Not as some imagine, ihat the open-
ing of Heaven is as if a soul could see by imagi-
nation through the skies above the Firmament,
how our Lord Jesus sitteth in His Majesty, in
a bodily light, as much as £tn hundred suns. No»
it is not so; no, iTiough he see never so high on
this manner, veriJy he seeth not the spiritual
Heaven, Tlie higher he soareth up above the
sun for to see Jesus God, thus by such imagi-
nation the lower he falleth beneath the sun.
Nevertheless, this kind of sight is tolerahle in
aimple souls that can seek no better for Him
that is invisible.
CHAPTER m
How Jesua ia Heaven to the Soul, Eind why He is
called Fire
What then is Heaven to a reasonable soul ?
Verily nought else but Jesus God. For if thai
be Heaven only that is above all things, then
ID
J
242
The Scale of Perfection
is God only Heaven to man's souJ, for He
alone is above the nature of a soul. Then if a
soul can through R-race have knowledge of that
blessed nature of Jesus, verily he seeth Heaven^
for he seeth God. Therefore there be many men
Ihat err in unrierstanding of some words that are
spoken of God, for that ihey understand them
not spiritually.
Holy Writ sailh, that a soul Ihat will find
God must lift her inward eye upward, and seek
God above itself. Then 5ome men that would
do after this saying, understand this word aikTZje
fhemseh'es to signify the placing or setting of a
thing in place and worthiness above another, as
one element or planet is above another in situa-
tion and worthiness of a bodily place. But it is
not so taken spiritually: for a soul is above each
bodily things, not in place, or siy:ht, but in purity
and worthiness of nature. Right so in the same
manner God is above aU bodily and spiritual
creatures, not in place and sig"ht, but in purity
and woribiness of His unchangeable blessed
nature.
And therefore he that will wiseW seek God,
and find Him, he must not run out with his
thoughts as if he would climb above the sun,
and pan the firmament, and imagine the
Majesty like to a hundred suns. But he must
rather draw down the sun, and all the lirma-
ment, and forget it, and cast it beneath him
where he is, and set all this and all bodily
thinjTs also at nought; and then, if he can,
think spiritually both of himself and of God
also. And if he do thus, then seeth the soul
above itselfj then seeth it into Heaven,
Upon this same manner shall this word
^tChiti be understood. It is commonly said
The Third Book
*43
tliat a sou] should see our Lord ^tthin ail
ihirigs and mtihin iUtlf. True it is, that ouc
Lord i& -it'ithm all creatures, but not on that
manner that a kernel is hid within the shell of
a nut ; or as a Utile boUily iluntf is contained
-within a ereater. But He is within all crea-
tures, as holding and preserving th^m in their
being-, through the subtlety and poner of His
own blessed nature, and purity invisibie. For
even as a thing chat \% most precif^us and most
clean is laid innermost, li'^hc so by the same
likeness it is said that the nature of God, which
is most precious, most clean, most goodlv, most
remote Irom bodily substance, is hid within all
things. And therefore he that will seek God
within* he must first forget all bodily tldnffs,
ior all buch things are wilhoLit; and also his
own body; and he must forgot thinkint^ of his
own soul, and think on the uncreated nature;
that is, Jesus, who made him, quickeneth him,
holdeth him, and giveth him reason, memory
and love, the which is nichin liim through His
power and sovereign subtlety.
Upon this manner mu^t the soul do, when
grace toucheih it, or eUe it will but little avail
to seek Jesus, and to find Ilim wiLhin itself, and
within all creatures as methinketh.
Also it is said in HoW Writ, thai God is light, i stjohn L
So sayeth St ^ohn : God h ti^ht. This light we
roust not take for a bodily light ; but it must be
understood thus : God rs light; that is, God is
truth and verity itself, for verity is spiritual light.
He then that most graciously knc^wcth verity,
best seeth God. And n evert he le-s it is likened
to corporal light, for this reason: Kight as the
sun showcth to the bodily eye both itself and all
bodily things thereby; even so verity, that is^
244
The Scale of Perfection
God, showeth to the reason of tbe soul itself firet,
and by itself all other spiritual things that are
needful to the knowing ot a soul. Thus saith the
Fsafm iDOEV, pTvpfut : Domttii in lumme fito ^liebtrnus iumen.
— Lord^ wc shall sf£ 7'fty it^hi by Thy iig^U. That
is, we ah*iU see Thee, who art verity, by Thyself.
lieb, KiL In like luanner, ii is said that God is fire.
Out God ij loasiitig fire. That is to say, God is
not elementary fire, that heateth and bumeth a
body, but God is love and charity. For as tire
wasteth all bodily thicgs, that can be wasted,
even so the love of God bumeth and wasteth all
sin out of the soul and makelh tt clean, as fire
cleanseth all manner of metals. These words and
all other that are spoken of our I-ord in Holy
Writ by bodily similitude, must tieetJs be under^
stood spiritually, dae there is no savour in them.
And the reason why such words are said of our
Lord in Holy Writ is this, for that we arc so
carnal, that we cannot speak of God nor under-
stand anything of Him, unless we be first entered
by such words. Uul when the inner eye is open
through grace to have a tittle sight of Jesus, then
lyill the soul easily enough turn all such words of
bodily things into spiritual understanding. This
spiritual opening- of the inner eve into knowing
of the Divinity, 1 call reforming in faith and feel-
ing. For then the soul feeleth somewhat IQ
tiaderstanding of that thing that it liad before,
in naked believing, and that is the hegij^ning
of ConUmplatwu, Of th^i which SI Paul saith
2 Cbr. W. thus : Ni^n Coniempl'ttUihus tioh's grus vidcnti^^
a^c.—Qur Cantcmpiation \s not an things that ari
sceUt hat on ihmgs unseen. For things i/utl «ftf
sf£7t art passifjg, out things unseen are eptriasftng*
To which sight every soul should desire to come.
both Here in part, and m the bliss of Heaven
Thfi Third Book 245
fa\ly. For in that sifjhtj and in that Icnowin^
of Jesua fully, consistech the bliss ofa reasonable
soul and endless life. Thus saith our Lord : I/ca:
est autem Viia <etfrnfi, ;^^.— This is eternal life, sz/oAmvii.
that tliey krow Tltee the true God^ and Thy Son
whom Thou hast sent.
CHAPTER rV
Of two manfipp of Loves, created AnA uncreatp^f, and
how we are bouai to love ]i:sijs much for out*
Crcati^a ; but mcrf iot cur Rfdcmplion ; and
niosL of ail for our Salvaliuar ih^oLj^h tiie %Ai%
of HiB Love
But now perhaps thou wonderest why, since this
knowing of Gcrd is the hlrss and end of a Soul,
why I have said heretofore that a soul should
covtt nought else but only the love of Godi and
speak nothing of this sight that a soul should
covet it.
Unto this T may answer, that the sight of
Jesus is the full bliss of a soul ; but not only for
the sight, hut also for the blessed love that
Cometh out of that si^ht. And because that
love Cometh out of knowing, and not knowing
out of love ; therefore it is said^ that in knowing,
and in sight principally of God with love is the
bliss of a 50ul '. and the more He is known, the
better He is loved. But forasmuch as a soul
cannot arrive to this knowing, and the love that
Cometh out of it, without love, therefore I say
that thou must covet love; for love is a cause
why a soul cometh to (his knowing, and to the
love that cometh out of it. And in what manner
that is, I shall tell thee more plainly-
Holy wriier* say, and true it is, that thei
24*^
The Scale of Perfection
be two sorts of spiritual lovet One is called
CrcfiUif, aiid ihe other l/jureaied. Love uncreated
is God Him*;elf, the Third Person in the Trinity^
that is the Holy Ghost, He is love uncreated,
xSi/ahaVt. and unmade; as -5V yohn saiih: Gvd ts iove.
That iSj the Holy GJiost. Love created is the
affection of the soul produced by the Holy Ghos^t
out of the sight and the knowing of Veriiy ; that
is» God stirred up, and act upon him. This love
is called cr^'ded, for it is made by the Holy Ghost
This love is not God in Himself, for it is made :
but it is the love of the soul felt by the sig^ht of
Jesus, and stirred up towards Him only. Now
may you see that created love is not the cause
why a soul cometh to the spiritual sight of Jesus.
And some men think that the}' could love God so
fervently, as it were by their own strength, thai
they might be worthy to have the spiritual know-
ing of Him. No, it is not so; but love uncrealed,
that is, God Himseif, is cause of «n this knowing.
For a blind wretched soul is so far from the clear
knowing:, and tbe blessed feeling of His love,
through sin and frailty of its corporal nature,
that it could never come to it, if it were not lor
the endlees greatne^^s of the love of God. But
becau?*e He loveth us so much, therefore giA'eth
He us His love, that is the Holy Ghost. He is
both the giver and the gift, and maketh us then
by that gitt for lo know and love Him.
Lo, this is the love that I spake of, that thou
sbouldst only covet and desire this uncreated
love, thai is, the Holy Ghost; for verily a less
thing or a less gift than He is cannot avail u.^^,
lo bring us lo the blessed sight of Je^us. And
therefore ought wo iully to de'=ire and ask of
Jesus only this gift of love, that He woulJ for
the grreatness of His so blessed love touch our
The Third Book
247
hearts with His invisible light to the knowledge
of Himself, and make us partakers of His love ;
that as He loveih us, so we might love Him
a^ain. Thus saith Si John: Nos dihgnmus y St John
Deum^ &c. — Lc£ us love God now^ for Ih loved
t4s firsi. He loved us much when He made us
after His likeness ; but He loved us more when
He bought us with His precious Blood, by volun-
tary undertaking of death in His Humanity from
the power of the enemy and the pains of Hell ;
but He loveih us most when He givelh us the
gift of the Holy Ghost, that is. ]ove> by the
which we know Him and love Him, and are
made secure that we are His sons chosen to
salx-ation. For this Icve are we more bound
to Him than for any other love that ever He
showed to us, either in our making or redeem-
ing- For though He had made us and bought
US, if He did not save us withal, what would
our making or redeeming profit us I Verily
right nought-
Therefore the greatest token of love showed
to us, as methinketh, is this ^ That He giveth
Himself In His Godhead to our souls. He gave
Himself, firjit, in His manhood to us for our ran-
som, when He offered Himself to the Father of
Heaven upon the altar of the Cross.
This was a right fair gift, and a right great
token of love. But when He givelh Himself
in His Godhead spiritually to our souls for our
salvation, and maketh us to know Him and to
love Him> then loveth He us fully j for then
giveth He Himself to us. and more cannot He
give u5, nor could less suffice us. And for this
clause it is said that the justifying of a sinful
soul through forgiveness of sins is attributed*
' Anrectcd»
248
The Scale of Perfection
and appropriated principally to the working of
the Holy Ghost; for the Koly Ghost b love.
And in the justifying of a sinner, our Lord
Jesus showeth to a soul most of Hia love ; for
He putteih away all sin, and uiiiteih it to Him ;
and that i^ the best thing that He can do to
a soul ; and therefore it is ailributed to the Holy
Gho£i, l"he making of the soul is attributed to
the Father, as to the aovereigii might and power
that He showeth in making of it. The redeeming-
of it is attributed lo the Son^ as to the sovereign
skill and wisdom ilmi He showed in His Man-
hood ; for He overcame the enemy principally
through wisdom, and not through strength. But
the justifying and full saving of a &0L1I through
forgiveness of sins is appropriatt^d to the Third
Person, that is, the Holy Ghost, for therein
showeth Jesus most love unto man's soul, and
for that thing should He be most loved of us
again. His making is common to us and all
unreasonable creatures; for as He made us of
nought, so made He them, and therefore this
is a work of greatest might, but not of great-
est love. Also the Redemption is common to
us and all reasonable souls, as to J^ws and
SaracenSf and to false Christian men i for He
died for all souls alike, and bought them if
they would have the perfect love of it. And
also it is sufficient for the restorinjr of all,
though it be so that all have it not. And this
work had most of wisdom, not most of love.
But the justifying and sanctifyin]^ of our souls
through the gift of the Holy Ghost, that is
only the work of love, and is not common, but
a special gift only to chosen souls. And verily
that is mo?'t the working of love to us that are
Hifi chosen children.
The Third Book
This 15 the love of Got! tliat I spake of, which r^tift doih aiL
thou shauld>t covet and desire > for tins Iovq is
God Himself and the Holy Ghost. This love
uncreated, when it is given to us, it workelh in
our souls all that good is^ and. all that belongetli
to goodness. This love loveth us before we love
Him, for it deanseth us first from our sins, it
m^tketb us to love Him, and maketh our wills
strong to withstand all sins, and atirreth us up
to exerci.se ourselves through divers exercises
both bodily and ghostly in all virtues. It
stiiTfth us up also to forsake sin and carnal
affections and worldly fears. It keepeth tis
from malicious temptations of the enemv, and
driveth us out from business and vanities of the
world, and from the conversation of worldly
lovers. All this dotli the uncreated love ot
God, when He giveih Himself to us; we do
right nought but ^ufTer Him arid assent to
Him ; for that is the most that we do to as-
sent willingly to His gracious working in ua-
And yet is not that will from and of ourselvea
but of His making", so that mcthinketh He doth
in us all thai is well done, and yet we see it not.
And He not only doth all thus, but after-
wards this loi'fi doth more i for He openeth the
eye of the soul, and showeih to the soul the sight
of Jesus wonderfully, and the knowledge of Him
as weU as the soul can suffer it by little and
little ; and by that sight He ravisheth all the
affections of the soul to Him. and then b^ginneth
the soul to know Him spiritually and to love
Him burningly. Tlien scelh the soul somewhat
of the nature of the blessed Divinity of Jesus,
how that He is all, and that He worketh all,
and that all g'ood deeds that are done and good
thoughts are only of Him; for He is all-sove-
250
The Scale of Perfection
reign might and all-sovereign X'erity ard all-
sovereign goodness. And therefore every good
deed is done of Him and by Him, And He
aJone shall have the worship and the thanks for
all g-ood deeds, and nothing else but ile ; for
though wretched men stea.! His worship here
for a while, yet at the l.isC end shall verity show
full well that Jesus did all, and man did right
nought of him^eif. And then shatl the thieves
of God's gfoods that are not reconciled to Him
here in this iife be judged to death for their sins.
And Jesus shall be fully worshipped and thanked
of all blessed creatures for His working". This
love is nothinjif else but Jesus Himself, that for
love worketii all this in man's soul and reformeih
it in feeling to His likeness, as I have said before,
and somewhat more shall say. This love bring-
eth into the soul the perfection of all virtues, and
maketh it all clean and true, soft and easy, and
tumeth it all into love and into HKing. And in
what manner He doth that I shall tell thee a little
hereafter. This love drawetii the so\il from vain
beholding: °f worldly things into CoiiUmplatiofi
of spiritual creatures and of the secrets of God,
from sensuality into spirituality, from earthly
feeling into heavenly savour.
The Third Book
25*
CHAPTER V
How that some Souls Iotc Jesus by todily Fervours,
cUid by tlicir own human Aifcctions that are
moved by Grace and by Reason. And how some
Iqtp Him more quietly* by spiritual Affections
only moved inwardly through spirilual Gractr of
the Holy Ghost
Therefore I may truly say, that he chat hath
most of this love here in this life, moat pieaseth
Godj and shall have most clear sight of Him, and
most fully love Him in the bliss of Heaven, for
that he hath the greatest gift of love here in
earth. This love cannot be had by a man's own
travail, as some imagine. It is freely had by the
gracious gift of Jpsus after much bodily and
fapiritual pains going before, For there arc some
lovers of God that make themselves to love God
as it were by their own mi^ht; for they strain
themselves through great violence, and pant so
strongly, that they burst inio bodily fervours, as
if they would draw God down from Heaven to
them. And they say in their hearts and with
their mouth i Ah, Lord ( 1 love Thee, and I will
love Thee> and I TiiU suffer death for the love of
Thee. And in this manner of working they feel
^eat fervour and much gTace. And true it is, I
think, this working good and meritorious. t if it be
\vell tempered with humility and discretion. But
yet these men love not, nor have the gift of love
on that manner that I speak of, neither do they
ask it so. For a soul that hath the gift of love
through gracfous beholding of Jesus, as I mean,
* RcjiifuUv. t UcdtfuL
152
The Scale of Perfection
Pom. Alii.
J
or that soul that hath it not yet, but would have
it, she is nol busy to strain herself above her
strenj^thf as it were by bodily mighty for to have
it by bodiJy fervours, and &o far lo feel the love
of God, but thinkeih herself to be right nought,
and that she can do right nought of herself; but
as it were a dead thing, only depending and
borne up by the mercy of God, She seeth well
that Jesus is all, and doth all, and, therefore,
asketh she nought else but the gift of love ; for
since the soul seeth that her own love is nought,
therefore she desireth Hi5 love, for that is enough.
Therefore she praycth and deiiireth that the love
of God should touch her with His blessed light,
that she may see a little of Him by His gracious
presence, for then should she love Him ; and so
by this way cometh the gift of love, which is God,
into a soul, The more that a sout noughteth
itself through grace by sight of tliis verity, some-
time without ^Lny fervour showed outwardly, and
the less that it ihinketh ihcit it loveth or seelh
Godj the nearer it approacheth* for to perceive the ^^
gift of this blessed love ; for then is love master,]^H
and worketh in the soul, and maketh it forget ^^
itself, and for to see and look on only how love
worketh i and then is the soul more suffering
than doing, and that is pure love. Thus Si Paul
meant when he said thus i Quiciifftqu€ spiriiu Dsi
agfifititr, (^c. — They thai art ':vrifnght by tht spirit
of God arc God's sons. That is, souls that are
made so humble, and so pliable t to God, that
they work not of themselves, but suffer the Holy
Ghost to stir and work in them the feelings of
love with a sweet chord to His stirrings. Thdse
are in a special manner God's sons most
unto Him.
NigbellL t BmuQL
The Third Book
253
Other souls that cannot love thus, but travail
themselves by their own afflictionj;, and stir
themselves through their own thinking of Grod
and bodily exercise, for to draw out of them-
selves, by mastery, the feeling of love, by
fervours and other bodily signs, these love not
spiritually. They do well and meritoriously, it
so be they understand humbly that this their
working is not the kindly gracious feeling oi
love, but is a human acting of the soul at the
bidding of reason. And, nevertheless, through
the goodness of God, because ihe soul doth as
much as in it is, these human affections of the
soul stirred into God by man's working are
turned into spiritual affections, and are merito-
rious, as if they had been done spiritually in the
first beginning. And this is a gresl courtesy of
our Lord showed to bumble souls, whicti tumelh
all these human affections of natural love into
the affection and into the reward' of His own
love, aa if He had wrought them all fully by
Himself. And so these human affections thus
turned may be called affections of spiritual love
through purchase, not through kindly bringing
forth of the Holy Ghost. 1 say not that a soul
can work such human afft^ctlons only of itself
without grace; for I wot well that Sf Pout saith
that \^■e can do just nought, nor think anything
that is good of ourselves ^-ithout grace. Noji i 0>f. m.
entm quod sumtds stt^ctcnUsy i^c.—Noi as ^f toa -
we ircre suj^cieni of oursthes (o think nnythivg m
fif cursth'fs, butailmtr Vifflct'eucy ts of Cod. For
God wotkelh in all both ijood work and good
will, as St Paul saith '. It ts God thai n'ojkiih in ^f^*t. Vu
us both to ^iti and to do, accQrdxng to I/is good
pleasure. But I say that !iuch affections are
254
The Scale of Perfection
good, being made by the will and endeavours of
a soul according to the general grace ihat He
g-iveth to all chosen souls, not of spi^cial grace
made spiritually by the touching of His gracious
presence, as He workeih in His perfect love, as
I said before j for in unperfeci lovers love work-
eth at a distance by human affections; but in
perfect lovers love worketh nearly by her own
spiritual affections, and killeth in a 50\i\, for the
time, all other affections, both carnal, natural
and human ; and that is properly the working of
love by itself. Thus love may be had in some
measure,' in part, here in a pure soul through the
spiritual STght of Jesus; but in the bliss of
Heaven ic is fulfilled by clear sight in His God-
head ; for there shall no afFectiors be felt in a
soul but such as are divine and spiritual.
CHAPTER VI
That the Gift cl Love, amongst all other Gifts erf Jeans,
iH most worthy and moat proliubU. Ani how
Jesua doih ill that is wi?ll dene in His lovers,
only for Love. And how Love maketb th;
exercise of all Vu-tues and all good Deeds lighL
and easy
Ask, then, of God nothing but this gift of love,
which is the Holy Ghost, For among all the
gifts that our Lord giveth there is none so good,
nor so profitable, so worthv, nor so excellent as
this is. For there is no gift of God that is both
the giver and the gift, but this gift of love ; rtnd,
therefore, it Is the best and the worthiest. The
gift of prophfcy, the gift of working miracle-^, the
gift ol great knowledge and counsel, and the
* In little.
The Third Book aSS
gift of great fasting, or of great penance doing*,
or any other such^ are great gifts of ihe Holy
Ghost, but Ihey are not tbe Holy Ghost, for
Ji reprobate and damnable soul may hare all
these gifts as well as an elect soul, And^ there-
fore, all these kinds of gifts are not greatly to be
desired or cared for much. But the gift of love
is the Holy Ghost, God Himself, and Him can no
soul have and 'ivithal be damned; for that gift
alone iaveth from damnation, and maketh it
Irod's son, and a receiver* of the heavenly heri-
tage. And that lov.-, as 1 have said before, ia
not the affection of love that is created in a
aotil, but JL is the Holy Ghost Himself, that is,
]ove uncreated, thai saveth a ^ouL For He first
fiiveth Himself to that soul before the soul loveth
Him, and He forraeth the affection in the soul,
and maketh the soul to love Him only for Hini-
hcU. And not ^n^^y so, but also by this gift the
soul loveth itself, "and her neighbour as hersejf
only for God. And this is the gift of love that
maketh the distinction betwixt chosen and re-
probate 5ou]s» And this gift maketh perfect
peace betwixt God and a soul, and uniiech all
Wessed creatures wholly in God; for it maketh
Jesus for to love us, antl us Him also, and each
of us to love one another in Him.
^ Covet thl^ gift of love principally, as I have
said ; for if He please out of His grace to give it
thee on that manner, it shall open and enlighten
the rea!ion of thy soul, to see verity, that is God,
and spiritual things. And it shall stir up thy
iiffectiona wholly and fully for to love Him. And
it shall work in thy soul only as He will, and
thou shalt behold Jeaus reverently, nvith softness
of love, and see how He workeih. Thus com-
' Perceivtf.
256
The Scale of Perfection
manded He by His Prophet ihat we should d
ftalmii\\. saying' thus: VucaU <i irnUte ^uoniam ego
Deui.—Ceose y^t athd sec ihat I am God. Xhat i^*
ye that are refonned in feeling, and have your
inner eye opened into sight of spiritual ihingfs,
cease ye sometime from outward working, and
see that I am God, That \% see only how I,
Jesus, God and Man, do ; behold ye Me, for I do
all, I aiD love, and for love 1 du all that I do, and
ye do nought. And that this is tnitb, 1 shall
show you, for there 15 no good deed done by you,
nor good thought felt in you, but what is donebv^
Me. That isi through power and wisdom anoH
love mightily, wisely and lovely, el^^e it is no
good deed. But now it is true that I, Jesus, am
both power and wisdom and blessed love, and
ye are naught, for I am God. Therefore may
yoti easily see that 1 do all your good deeds, and
all your good thciughis, and all your good loves
in you, and ye do rig-ht nought. And yet, never-
theless, be all these good deeds called yours.
Not because ye work them principally, but for
that 1 give them unto you for love ihat I bear to
you. And, therefore, since I am Jesus, and for
love do all this, cease then ye from beholding cf
yourselves, and set yourselves at naught, anvl
look on Me, and see that I am God, for I do aJl
this. This is somewhat of the meaning of tliat
verse of /)*Kwf before said.
See then and behold what love worl:eth in a
chosen sou], which he reformeth in feeiing to his
likeness, when the reason is enlightened to the
spiritual knowing of Jesus, and to the feeling of
His love. Then bringeth love into the soul the
perfection of virtues, and turneth them all into
quietness,* and into liking, as it were, without
• Softaes*.
The Third Book
257
working of the soul ; for the soul striveth not
much for the getting" of them, as it did before ;
but ft hath them easily, and feeltth them rest-
fuily, only through the gift of love, that is, the
Holy Ghost- And that is a very great comfort,
and gladness unspeakable, when she feeleCh
suddenly in herself (and scarce knows how) the
virtues of humility and patience, sobriety and
staidness/ chastity and purity and love to her
neighbour. And all other virtues which were
sometimes travaillous.t painful and hard for to
keep, are now turned Into eaainessjl and liking',
and into wonderful lightness, insomuch that she
thinketh it no mastery nor difficulty to keep
every virtue, but it is most pleasing to him to
keep it, and all this is made by love.
Other men that stand in the way of common
charity, and are not yet got so far in grace, but
work under the command of reason, they sirive
and fight all day against sins for the procuring
of virtues; and sometimes they be above, and
sometimes beneath as wrestlers are.
I'Tiese men do full well, they have virtues in
reason, and will, not in savour, nor in love. For
ihey fight with themselves as it were by their
own might for them ; therefore cannot they fully
have rest, nor perfectly the higher hand. Never-
theless they shall have great reward,! but Ihey
are not yet humble enough. They have not yet
put themselves altogether into God's hand, for
they see Him not yet. But a soul that hath
spiritual sight of Jesus taketh no great care of
striving for virtues for that time. He is not busy
ttbcut them particularly, but he niaketh it all his
17
258
The Scale of Perfection
business to keep tliat sit^'ht, and that beholding
of jesus which it hath for lo hold the mind stably
thereto, and bind hts love only to it, that it fall
not from it, but forget ^11 other things as much
as it can. And when it doth thus, then is Jesus
verily Master against dl sins, and overshadow-
eth ic with His blessed presence, and getteth it
all virtues. And the soul is so comforted and so
borne up with the restful • feeling of love that it
hath of the sight of Jesus, that it fecleth no gre&t
disease outwardly. And thus doth love gpnerally
slajj all sins in a soulj and reformeth it in the new
feelings of virtues.
CHAPTER Vn
How Love thi^ugh gracious Bcholjingof Juuaalayeth
all stirrings of Pride i and irakeLh the Soul to lose
the savoup and delight in all ifarthly Honours f
£evf fiefffi Nevertheless I shall tell thee more particularly
^""- how love killeth sins in a soul, and reformeth vir-
tues. And first of Pride, and the virtue contrary
thereto^ namely, Humility. Thou must under-
stand that there be two kind^ of Humility ; one is
had by working of reason ; another is fell by the
special g-ift of love. Both are of love, but the
former love worketh by, and with the reason
of the souJt and the latter love worketh by her-
self. The first is imperfect, the other is perfect.
The first a man feeleth from the beholding of his
own sins and wretchedness, through the which
beholding he thinkcth himself unworthy to have
any gift of grace, or any reward of God, but
thinltelh it enough that Ha would of His great
mercy, jfrant him forgiveness of his sins. And
The Third Book 259
a-lso he thinketh himself, because of his sins, to
be worse than the greatest sinner that liveth,
and that every man doth belter than he. And
by such beholding thrusteih he himself down in
his thoughts under all men. And he is busy to
withsitand the stirring's of pride as much as he
can, both bodily and spiritual pride, and des-
piseth himself so that he assenteth not to the
feeiing"s of pride. And if his heart be taken
sometimes with il, that it be defiled with vain
joy of worship and praise from others; or from
the conceit of his wit, or of any other thing, aa
soon as he perceiveth it he is displeased with
himself, and hath sorrow for it in heart, and
asketh forgiveiiess for it of God, and showeth
himself to his confessor, and accuseth himself
humbly, and receivelh his penance- This is good
humility, but it is not yei perfect humility; for
It is of souls that are bei^inninc^ and proficintr in
grace caused by the beholding of their sins.
Love worketh this humility by reason.
Perfect humility a soul f*^eleth from the sight
and spiritual knowing of Jesus ; for when the
Holy Ghost lighteneth the reason into the sight
of verity, how Jesus is all, and that He doth all,
the soul hath 30 great love and so great joy in
that spirituiil sight (for it is really so indeed) that
it forgetteth itself, fully leaneth to Jesus with all
the love that it hath to behold Him, It taketh
no heed* of any unworthinesss of itself, not of
sins aforedone, but setteth at nought itivelf, with
all the sins, and all the good deeds that ever
it did, as if there were nothing but Jesus. Thus
was Damd humble when he said thus t Ei sub- ^- HJtuviiL
sian/ia mffa /i/rr^ufim nthxium anie Te.—And my
26o
The Scale of Perfection
Isa. x\
sxibsfancc is as nothing before Tk^e. That is, ^"^^^H
Jesus, the sight of Tliy blessed uncreated sub-
stance and oi Thine endless Being showeth well
UTilo me that my substance and being of QJ^H
soul is as nought in regard of Thee. ^H
Also, such a soul in respect to his neighbour
hath no regard to him, nor judging of him,
whether hr: he better or worse than himaelf;
for he esteemeih himself and all other men to
be all alikCi and to be just nought of themselves
in regard of Gnd (and this is very so). For all
the goodness that is wrought in himself, or in
others, is only of God, whom he beholdelh aa
all in all. And therefore setieth he all other
creatures at nought, as he doth himself. Thus
humble was the Prophci when he said thus^H
Orrjves genJcs qtmsi mm sint sic sttfii coram eo, ^^'^IH
— Ail nisiious arc before out Ltrrd as if ihey were
ni>!, end are rcpul/d as nothings* and as a fain
ihiitg. Iliat is, in comparison t of the endless
Being, and the unchangeable nature of God,
mankind is as nought ; for of nought was it
made, and to nought shall it return, unless
keep it in its being that made it of noughl
This is truth, and this should make a sot
humble, if by grace it could see this truth.
Therefore when once love openeth the inner
eye of ihe soul, for lo see this truth, with
other circumstances that attend it, then be-
ginneth the soul to be really humble; for then
through the sight of tjod it feeleth and seeth
itself as it is ; and then doth the soul fors*
the beholding and leaning upon itself; ai
fully falleth to the beholding of Jesus^
when it doth so, then sftt^eth the suul nougl
nOtll^
L'tiiic^icftil.
t Afl4:jitcs.
The Third Book
261
by all the joy and worship of the world, for the
joy of worldly worship is so little, and 50 rought,
in regard of that joy and of that love tha.t it
teeleth in the spiritual sig-ht of Jesus and know-
ledge of the truth lliat, though it might have it
without any sin, he would have nothing to do
with iL No, though men would worship him,
praise himj and favour him, or set him in great
&tate> it would nothing at all please him. No,
though he had great skill in all the seven liberal
sciences, and of all skill under the sun, or had
power to work all manner of miracles, yt;i. would
he take no more delight* in all ihis, nor no more
savour than to gnaw on a dry stick- lie had
rather forget all this, and to be alone out of the
sight of the world, than to think of them and be
worshipped of all men; for ihe heart of a true lover
of Jesus is made so much, and so large through
a. little sight of Him. and a little feeling of His
spiritual love, that all the liking and all the joy
of all the earth cannot suffice to fill a corner
of it. And then appeareth it well that these
wretched worldly lovers, that are, as it were,
ravished with the love of their owti worship,
and pursue after it to have \i with all the might
and all the wit they have, they have no taste of
- this Humility, but are wondrous far from it. But
the lover of Jesus hath this humility lastingly,
and that not wiih heaviness and striving for it,
but with liking and glndness* The which glad-
ness he hath not therefore, because be forsaketh
the worship of the world, for that were a proud
humility belonging 10 an hypocrite ; but because
he hath a sight and a spiritual knowing of the
verity and worthiness of Jesus through the gift
262
The Scolt of Perfection
of the Holy Ghost- That reverend sight, and
that lovely beholding: of Jesus comforteth his love
so wondprfully, and beareih it up so mightily and
so easily,* that verily it cannot like, nor fully rest
in any earthly joy, nor would he if he could- He
maketh no matter whether men praise him or
diapraUe t him. worship him or despise him ; as
to himself he sets it not to heart, neither to be
well pleasedj (for his greater humiliation) when
men despise him, nor to be displeased when
men worship him or praise him, He had rather
forget both the one and the other, and only think
on Jesus, and get humility by that way> And
that is much the securer way whosoever can
attain to it. Thus did Dnvt'd when he said s
Ah/a xxIv, Ocaii ma semper ad Dommum, i^c. — ^fy eyes art
akoiiys to the L.ord^ for He shall pluck mv feel oui
ef the net. For when he doth so, then forsaketh
he utterly himself, and casteth himself wholly
Tinder Jesu?', and then is he in a secure guard;
for the shield of Truth which he holdcth kecpeth
him so well that he shall not be hurt through
any stirring of pride, as long as he holdeth him-
self within the shield. As the Prophet saith:
/Vfl/m Jic, fi. Scuto circumdabii U verifax cpts^ &c. — Verily shall
ci/mpass th^e with a shield. And that is, if thou,
leaving all other things^ only beholdest Him;
/gt theft shall thou nH drt^d for the niglU's dread;
that is, thou shalt not fear the spirit of pride,
whether he come by night or by day, as the next
verse saith thus : A sagitta 'jotante in die'^Prom
the arrow that flieth by day. Pride cometh by
night to assail a soul when it is despised and
contemned of other men, that thereby it should
fall into heaviness and into sorrow. It cometh
' SdEIL;. t Lack. X Well paU.
The Third Book
263
also as an arrow flying' on the day, when a man
ih praised and worj^hipped of all men ; whether
it be for wordly doinq' or spiritual, that he should
have vain joy in liimself, and to rest tliereinj and
false pladnesa in a thing- that is passing-. This
is a sharp arrow and a perilous, it fleeth swifdy,
and it striketh sokly, but it woundeth deadly.
But the lover of Jeaus, that .■^tably beholdeth by
devout prayers, and busy thinking on him, is so
encompassed rtith the safe shield of Truth that
he dreadeth it noti for this arrow cannot enter
into his soul. Nay, though it come it hurteth
him not, but glanceth' away and passeth forth.
And thus is the soul made humble, as I under-
stand^ by the working of the Holy Ghost, that is,
the gift of love; for He openeth the eye of the
soul to see and love Jesus, and He koepeth the
soul in that ,sight rescfully and securely; and He
slayeth all the stirrings of pride wonderfully and
privily and softly, and the soul knowetht nothow.
And also He bring-pth in by thai way verily and
lovely the virtue of humility. All this doth love,
but not in all lovers alike fully; for some have
this grace but abort and liltle, as it were in the
beginning of it, and a little assaying toward it ;
for Che conscience is not yet cleansed fully through
grace. And some have it more fully, for they
have clearer sight of Jesus, and they feel more ot
this love- And some have it most fully, for they
have the full g;ift cif ConUmfhilimi. Nevertheless,
he that hath the least on thih manner that I have
said, I bope verily he hath the gift of perfect hu-
mility, for he hath the gift of perfect love.
GLtiQicib, tWQUcih,
J
264
The Scale of Perfection
Angtr and
Envy.
CHAPTER Vni
How Love slayath all slirringa of Wrath and Envy
easily j* and rcformeth m the Soul the Virtues of
Peactf and Patience, and of perfect Charity To his
Neighbour, as He did specJall? in the Apostles
Love, where it worketh, worketh wisely ard
easily* in a soul ; for he slayeth mightily anger
and envy, and all passions of wrath and melan-
choly in it, and bringt^th into the soul the vir-
tues of patience and mildness, peaceableness
and amity to his neighbour. It is full hard
and a great mastery for a man that standeth
only in workinjf of his own reasoti to keep
patience, holy rest and softness in heart and
charity to his neighbour, when they Hse him
hardly and do him wrong, that he do not
through motion or rising of anger or bitter-
ness t within him something against them, either
by word or deed, or both. (And nevertheless
though a man be stirred and troubled in himse
and made unrestful, if so be it passeth not too
much the bounds of reason, and that he keep his
hands and his tongue, and be ready to forgivo
the trespass when forgiveness is asked, yet this
man hath the virtue of patience, though it be but
weak and nakedly- Forasmuch as he de&ires to
have it, and laboureth busily in restraining his
urruly passions lo the end that he may have
it, and also is sorry that he hath it not as he
should.) But to a true lover of Jesus it is no
£real mastery for to sulTer all this; for why?
ove fighteth for him, and slayeth wondrous
.m
.4
* Softly, t Melancholy.
The Third Book
=65
easily such stirrings of wrath and of melan-
choly ; and maketh his soul so easy and so
peaceable, so suffering and so goodl}', through
the spiritual sight of Jesus, with the feeling of
His blessed love, that though he be despised
and contemned of other men, or suffer v/rong or
harm, shame or villainy, he hecdcth* it not. he is
not much stirred against them; he will not be
angered nor stirred against them» for, if he were
miich stirred, he should forego the comforc which
he feeleth within his soul, but that will he not.
He can lightlier forget all the wrong that is done
him than another man can forgive it, though for-
giveness t was asked him ; and so he had ratherj
forget it; for he thinketh it most easy lo him.
And love doth all this, for love openeth the eye
of the soul to the sight of Jesus, and establisheth
it with the pleasure^ and content of love that it
feeleth by that sight, and comforteth it so mightily
that it takeih no heed IJ whatever men jangle or do
against him; it restethf nothing upon him ; the
greatest harm that he can suffer ts a forbearing
of the spiritual sight of Jesus ; and therefore it
is better" for him to suffer all harms than that
alone. All this can the soul do well and easily
without great disturbing of this spiritual sight,
when the grievances fall outwardly and touch
not the body, as do backbitings or scorninga
or spoiling of his goods. All these grieve him
nought i but it goeth somewhat nearer when his
flesl^ is touched, and he feeleth smart, then is it
harder.
Nevertheless, though it be hard and impos-
sible to the frail nature of man to suffer bodily
• CUrgcth, f Mcrty. r W«ll kvcr, I L\klag.
266
The Scale of Perfection
penance gladly and patiently, without bitter
stirrings of ire, anger and melancholy, and vei
it is not impossible to love, that Js, the Holy
Ghost for to work thia in a soul, when He
touchelh it with the blef^sod gift of love. But
H« giveth a soul that is in iliaL plight mightily
the feelings of love, and wonderfully fasteneth
it to Jesu^, and aeparateth it ver> far from sen-
suality through His secret might, and comforieih
it so sweetly by Hi5 blessed presence that the
soul feeleih little pain or else none at all in ihe
sensual part; and this is a apecial grace gfiven to
the holy Martyrs.
This grace had the Apostles, as holy Writ
saith of them thus : Ib-ini ApostoU gaudentet^ &c.
AcUt —Tke Apifsiics went from the Council rejtficiHg'y
when (hry wire heaien •mttk scourge's, and thty wert
^iad thai they luere accoHnhU Tt'orthy to suffer any
oodily pain for the love of Jesus, limy were not
Stirred to anger, nor to bitterness," to be revenged
on the Jcjjs that beat them, as a worldly man
would be when he suffered a little harm, were it
never so little, from his neighbour. Nay, they
were not stirred to any pride, nor highness of
mind, nor to disdain or judge the J^Tuf, as hypo-
crites and heretics are wlio will suffer much
bodily pain, and are sometimes ready to suffer
death with great gladness and with mighty will,
as it were in the name of Jesus, for love of Him.
Verily, that love and that gladness that they have
in suffering of bodily mischief rs not of the Holy
Ghost, it Cometh not from the fire that burneth
on the High Altar of Heaven, but it Is feigned
by the enemy, infiamed of hell ; for it is fully
The Third Book 267
mingled with the height of pnde, and of pre-
sumpiion of themselves^ of despite and judging
and disdaining of those that thus punish them.
They imagine that all this is charity, and that
they suffer atL that for the love of God, but they
are beguiled by the mid-day fiend,
A true lover of Jesus, when he suffercth hann
from his neighbour, is so strengthened through
grace of the Holy Ghost, and is made so humble,
so patient, so peaceable, and that so really, that
what harm or wrong soever he sufFereth ^"om
his neighbour, he still preaervelh his humility,
he despiseth him not, he Judgeth him not, but he
prayeth for him in his heart, and hath pity and
compassion on him much more tenderly than
of another man that never did him harm ; and
verily loveth him better, and more fervently de-
sireth the salvation of his soul, because he seeth
that we shall have so much spiritual profit out of
that evil deed of thai man though it be against
his will. But this love and this meekness is
wrought only by the Holy Ghost above the
nature of man in them whom He maketh true
lovers of Jesus.
CHAPTER IX
How Love slayplh Covetousncss, Lechery and Glut'
tony, aad the fleshly delight and savour in all the
five Bodily Stns^s^ softly and easdy, ihrough a
gracious beholding of Jeaus
CovETOUSNESS also is slain in a soul by the Z^w
working of love, for it maketh the soul so C^^vr^wrtf**-
covetous of spiritual good and so inflamed to
heavenly riches that it setteth right nought by
268
The Scale ol Perfection:
sTaifih
all earthly thing's. It hath no more joy Jn th
hAvirtg of a precious stone than a chalk-stone;
no more love hath he in an hundred pounds tha.Ti
in a pound cf lead. It selteCh all things that
must perish at one price; he heedeth no more
the one than the other, as to his love -, for he
knows well that all these earthly things which
worldly men set so great price by and love so
dearly must pass away -ind turn to nothing, both
the thing itself and the love of it. And tberefo.
he workeih his thoug-ht^ betimes into that judg^
ment and esteem of them which they must come
to hereafter, and so accountelh them as nought.
And when worldly lovers strive and fight and
plead for earthly goods, who may first have
them; the lover of Jesus striveth with no man,
but keepeth himself in peace, and is well con-
tented wllh that which he hath, and will strive
for no more; for he thinketh that he needs no
more of all the riches on earth than a scanty
bodily sustenance for to sustain bis bodily life
withal, as long as it pleaseth God, and that he
can easily have. And therefore would he have
no more than he barely needeth for the time,
that he may freely be discharged from the trouble
of keeping and spending of it, and fully give his
heart and his business about the seeking of Jesus
for to find Him in cleanness of spirit ; for that is
all his covetousness ; for why f-^nly the clean in
heart shall see Him.
Also, the fleshly lovs of father and mother
and other worldly friends hangeth not upon him.
It is even cut from his heart with the sword of
spiritual love, so that ho hath no more affection
to father or mother, or to any worldly friend than
he hath to another man, except he see or feel in
them more grace or more virtue than in other
The Third Book
z69
men, or except that his father or mother hath
the selfsame grace that some other men have.
But if they be not 5^, then loreth he other men
better than them, and that is charity. And thus
doth God's love slay covetousness of the world,
and bringeth into the soul poverty of spirit. And
that doth love, not only in them that have right
nought of worldly g^oods, but also in dome crea-
tures that are in great worldly state and have
earthly riches to spend. Love slayeth in some
of ihem covetousnej^s so far forth that they have
no more Itking* nor savour in having of them
than of a straw. No, though it should so happen
that they should lose them through default of
those that should look after them, yet set they
nought thereby. For why ? — the heart of God's
lover is, through the gift of the Holy Ghost,
taken so fiiUy with the sight of the love of
another thing, which is Jesus, and that is so
precious and so worthy that it will receive no
other love to rest in it that is contrary thereto.
And not only doth love this, but also it slay-
elb the liking of Lechery and ail other bodily
un cleanness, and bringech into the soul true
chastity, and tumeth it into liking* For the
soul feeleth so great delight in the sight of
Jesus that it liketh for to be chaste, and it is
no great difficulty to it to keep chastity, for
therein is most ease and most rest,
And in the same manner the gift of love
slayeth the lusts of Gluttony, and maketh the
soul sober and temperate, and bcareth it up so
mighlily thai it cannot rest in the liking of meat
and drink. But it taketh such meat and drink,
whatever it be, as least hindereth orchargeth the
bodily complexion, if it can easily come by it;
nor tor the love of itselt, but for the love oi God.
I
siitytlh Clu^
i
270
The Scale of Perfection
On this wise the lover of God seeth w^U that he
needeth to sustain his bodily life with meat and
drinkj as long as God will suffer them to con-
tinue together Here, theni will be the discre-
tion of the lover of Jesus, as far as I understand,
that hath feeling and working in loi/e, that in
what manner he may be.st keep his grace whole,
and be least letted from working in it throug-h
taking of bodily sustenance, so shall he do.
That kind of meat, which least letteth and
least troubleth the heart, and may keep the
body in strength, be it flesh, he it fish, be it
bread and ale, that J suppose the soui chooseth
for to have, if it can come tliereby. For the
whole business of the soul is to think on Jesus
with reverent love, constantly, without letting of
anything, if that it might. And therefore since
it must needs be letted somewhat and hindered,
the less it is letted and hindered by meat or
drink or any other thing the better it is. It had
rather use the best meat and most costly if it less
hinder the keeping of his heart, than to take
only bread and water, if that hinder him more;
for he hath no reg-ard for to get great merit by
the pain of fasting, and be put thereby from soft-
ness and quietness of heart, but all his business
is for to keep his heart as stably as he can in the
sight of Jesus and in the feeling of His love.
And surely I am of the opinion that he may with
leas lust and liking use the best meat, that is
good in its kind, than another man that worketh
all by reason without the special gift of love can
use the worst. Ever excepting such meat as is
dressed with art and curiosity only for luat^ for
such manner of meat cannot at all accord with
him. And also on the other side, if little meat,
as only bread and beer, most helpeth and quiet'
The Third Book
27t
eth his heart, and keepeth it most in peace, that
is most acceptable to him for to use ; and, namely^
if he feel bis bodily strength sustained thereby,
ajid have the gift of love wichal.
And yet doth love more, for it slayeth sloth
and fleslily idleness, and maketh the soul to be
occupied m i^oodneas, and, namely, inwardly in
beholding ot him, by virtue whereof the soul
hach savour and spiritual delig^ht in praying, in.
TOediiaiing-T and in all manner of doing that be-
longeth to him to do according to the state
he is in, without heaviness or painful bitter-
ness, whether he be religious or secular.
Also, it filayeth the vain likings of the five
bodily senses. As first of the sight of the eyes,
so that the soul hath no liking in the sight of any
worldly thing, but feeleth rather pain and disease
in beholding of it, be it never so fair, never so
precious, never so wonderful. And, therefore, as
worldly lovers run out sometimes for to see new
things, for to wonder at Ihem, and so for to feed
their hearts with the vain sight of them ; right so
a lover of Jesus is bujsy for to run away, and
withdraw himself from the sight of such manndr
of things, that the inner sight be not letted ; for
he spirltuaUy seeth another manner of thing,
which is fairer and more wonderful, and that
would he not forbear.
Right on the self-same wise is it of speaking
and hearing. It is a pain to the soul of a lover
of Jesus for to speak or hear anything that might
let the freedom of his heart from thinking on
Jesus, whatever song, or melody, or music' out-
ward it be, if it hinder the thought that it can-
not freely anil restfully pray, or think on him.
Love iiavetk
Jdlrntsr.
U
' Min^lrddj.
ehr Delight oj
fhe Pivc
272
The Scale of Perfection
it liketh hira right nought. And the moTt
rJelectable it is to other niRn, the more un-
savoury it is to him- And also to hear any
manner of speaking- of other men, unless it be
somewhat touching the working of his soul into
the love of Jesus, it liketh him right noug-hc. he
IS right soon weary of it. He had rather be in
peace, and hear right nought, nay speak right
nought, than for to hear the speaking and the
teaching of the greatest Clerk on earth, with
all the reasons that he can say to him by human
wit, except he can speak feelingly and siirrirgly
of the love of Jesus i forthere lies his skill* princi-
pally. And therefore woulJ not bespeak of any-
thing else, nor hear, nor see anything, but what
might help him, and further him into more know-
ledge, and to better feeling of Him.
Of worldly speech it ia no doubt that he hath
no savour in speaking, nor in hearing of it, nor
in worldly tales, nor tidings, nor in any such
vain jangling that belongeth not to Him. And
the same is of smelling and tasting. The more
the thoughts are distracted and broken from
spiritual rest by the use either of smelling, or
tasting, or of any of the senses, the more he
avoideth it. The less that he fepleth of thera,
the better t he is. AAd if he could live in the
body without the feeling of any of them he
would never feel them, for the/ trouble the
heart oft-times, and put it from rest; but they
cannot fully be eschewed. Nevertheless the
love of Jesus is sometimes so mighty in a soul,
that ic overcometh and slayech all that is con-
trary thereto for a time.
• Crafi- t Lever.
The Third Book
273
CHAPTER X
Whit Virtues and Graces a SouJ Kceivtih throtigh
openiae &f t^c inner eye iaio the gracious Be-
bolding of Jesus, oad how it cannot be gotten
only by M^vnS Labour^ but through special Grace
aod his own Labour also
Thus worketh love in a soul, opening the
ghostly eye into the beholding- of Jesus by in-
spiration of special grace^ and maketb it pure,
subtle and able to the work of Cante^nplatton.
What this opening" of the spiritual eye is the
greatest scholar on earth cannot imagine by his
wit nor show fully by his tongue; for it cannot
be gotten by atudy, nor by man's industry alone,
but principally by grace of ibe Holy Ghost, and
with human industry, I am afraid to speak 1
anything of it, for methinketh that I cannot, it
passeth ray attempt,* and my lips are unclean.
Nevertheless, because it seems to me that love
asketh, yea, love biddeth that 1 should, therefore
shall 1 say a little more of it as I hope love
teachetb. This opening of the spiritual eye is
that lightsome darkness and rich nought that
I spdke of before, and it may be called purify
cf spirit and spiritual rest, rmturd stillness and
peace cf canscicnce^ Uizhncss of thought and iatuh-
rress of soul, a lively fethng of gracji arid re-
ttraitn^ss t of hearty thdoalchfut sleep of the spouse
and tasting of heavenly s^njouTj biirning in love
and shining in lights the gate% of Contemplatum
and reforming in feeling. All these expressions
are found in holy writings of divers men, for
274
The Scale of Perfection
every one uf ihem speak^th according to his
feeJirg in ja;race- And though all these be
divers in show of words, yel are they all one
in meaning- and verity ; for that soul which
through visilin^f of firace hath one of them
hath all- For why r a soul sighing to see the
Face of Jesus when it is touched through
special ^ace of the Holy Ghosl, it is suddenly
changed, and turned from the state that it was
in into another manner of feeling. It is wonder-
fully separated and drawn first into itself, from
the love and the liking of all earthly things, so
much that it hath lost the savour of the bodily
life, and of all things save only Jesus, And
then is it clean from all the filth of sin, so far
forth thst the minding of itself, and all other
inordinate affections to any creature is suddenly
■washed and wiped away, so that there remains
no middle thing or impediment betwixt Jesus
and the soul, but only the bodily life, and then
it is in spiritual rest. For why? all painful
doubts and fears, and all other temptations of
-spiritiial enemies are driven out of the heart,
that they trouble not, nor sink not into it for
the time- It is in reiit from the annoyance of
worldly business, and painful hinclTfiniTes of
wicked stirrings; but it is full busy io the free
spiritual working of love. And the more it
laboureth so, the more rest it feeleth^
This restful labouring is full far from fleshly
idleness and frotn blind security- It is full of
spiritual workings but it is called rest, for that
grace loseth the heavy yoke of fleshly love
from the soul, and maketh it mighty and free
through the gift of spiritual love for to work
gladly, sofdy and delectably in all things to
which ffrace stirrcth it to work in. And there-
The Third Book
275
fore it is called an holy tdlfinesss and a res£ most
busy, and so it is in regard of stiUness from the
great crying" of the beastly noise of fle5hly de-
sires and undean thoughts, Tbis stillness is
made by the inspiration of the Holy Ghoat
through the beholding oF Jesus, For why ? Hi^
voice is so sweet and so mijrhty that it putteth
to silence in a soul all the jangling of all other
speakers ; for it is a voice of power,* softly
founded in a pure soul, of the which the Propkei
saith thus : Vox Domini in vtriutf. — The votce (ff Psalm xxviiL
Gur L{?rd Jesus ts with pcrj.'£r. This voice is a
lively word, and speedy^ as the Apostle saith:
Vi-vtis isr s£rmo Dei, &"£. — TAe ^^ord 0/ the Lord ^'ff- iw-
ts lively and pamerful^ more piercing £/ian any
STDord is. Through speaking of this word is
fleshly love slain, and the soul kept in silence
from all wicked stirrings. Of this silence it is
said in the Apocalypse thus: Fa£i:jm est stUntium Apcc^^
in caslo, ^c. — Siience was made in Heaven as i£
were half an hmir. By Heaven is meant a pure
soul lifted up through grace from earthly love
to heavenly conversation, and so it is in silence.
But forasmuch as that silence cannot last whole
continually by reason of the corruption of the
bodily nature ; therefore it is compared to the
time of half an hour, a very short time the
soul thinketh it to he, though it be never so
long; and therefore it is but half an hour.
And then hath it peace in e&nscicnce. For
whyr Grace putielh out the gnawing, pricking,
striving and fighting of sins, and bringeth in
peace and concord, and makeih Jesus and a
soul both one in full agreement of will. There
is no upbraiding of sins, nor sharp reproving of
V)rtu«.
J
nt
TKc Scale of Pcrfccti.
faults made at that time in a soul, for they have
kissed and are maile friends, and all is furciv
that was done amiss.
""g
Thus feeleth the soul, then, with gjeat
security and great spiritual gladness, and con-
ceiveih a full gfreat* certainty of salvation by
this accordmaking ; fur it heareth a secret wit-
nesfiing of the Holy Ghost to the conscience,
that he is a chosen son to a heavenly heritage.
Jiom*Vn\. Thus Si Patd saith i Ipse Spiritm- ft'stimofuum
per hibet spirt tui fioslro, ^^.— 'I/te H\/ly SpirU h^ar^^A
eih •mitnest to our spirtf ihni 7Ui' ar£ G^'s sous. j^H
This witnessing of conscience verily f(H^*
throujijh grace is the very joy of the snul, as
the Apostle saith; Gtoria nua est testimonium^
a C'n I Qfc^ — My joy is ttic wittiiJ^s vf my conscience:
and that is, when it wtin^'sspth peace and
accord, true love and friendship betwixt Jesua
and a soul. And when it is in this peace,
then is it in highness of thought.
When the soul is bound with the love of the
world^ then is it beneath all creatures; for every-
fl^ing goeth over it, and bearcth it down by
mastery, that it cannot see Jesus nor love Him.
For ever as the love of the world is vain and
fleshly, right so the beliolding- and thinking and
using of all creatures is fleshly; and that is ^^
thraldom of th& soul. But then through open^^|
ing of the spiritual eye into Je.^us the love S^
turned, and the soul is niised up according to
its own naciire above all bodily creatures. And
then the beholding and thinking, and the using
of them is spiritual, for the love is spiriluaL
The fioul hath then great discfain to be oberJientf
to the love of worldly things, for it is high
The Third Book 277
set above them thrDug;h grace. It setleth
nought by all the world. For why ? It will all
pass away and perish. Unto this highness of
heart, as lon^ as the soiil is kept therein,
comech no error nor deceit of the enemy; for
Jesus is really in sight of the soul at that time,
and all other things are beneath it. Of thia the
/^roj^^^f-/ speaketh thus: Accrdat homo ad cor altum Psalm\^^
ct cxtliahihir Dens. — Lei a tnun cmnt to a high
hearl^ and God shall de £XalM, That is, a man
that throug-h grace Cometh to the hig-hness of
thought sh^ll see that Jesus is only exalted
above all creatures, and he In Him.
And then is the soul thus set aloft, estranged
from the fellowship of worldly lovers, though his
body be in the midst among them, full far is
he parted from carnal affections of creatures. He
careth not though he never see man, nor speak
with him, nor have comfort from him, that be
might for evt?r continue in that spiritual feeling.
He fcclcth so great famJliariiy* of the blessed
presence of our Lord Jesus, and so much savour
of Him, that he can easily for love of Him forget
the fleshly affection and the fle^ihly mind of all
creatures. 1 say not that he shall not love nor
think of other creatures, that he shall think on
them in fitting time, and see them and love them
spiritually and freely, not fleshly and painfully
as he did before. Of this loneliness speaketh
the }^of-h€t thus: Ducnrn earn in soitfudimm, OmW.
&C.-'/ Tvill UuJ htr into soiitudc,f mid I will
speak ti} h^ hi'tirt. That is, the grace of Jesus
leadeth the soul from iroublcsomej company
of fleshly desires into loneliness of thought, and
maketh it foc^et the liking of the world, and
* Honi?liiic3ib ^ Onclineas. X Noyoui,
i
278
The Scale of PcrfcctI
soundelh by sweetness of His inspiration words
of love in the ears of ihe heart, A sou) is
thus /rwt'/v when it lovetH Jesxis, and attendeth
f\i[[y to Him, and he halh lo^t the savour and
the comfort of the world ; and that it may
better keep this loneiinesSj it fleelh the company
of men as much as it can ; and ^eketh lotuhn^si
of body, which helpeth much to the laneiirusi
of the soul, and to the free working of love, the
less hindrance that it hath from without of vain
jangling^, or from within of vain thinking, the
more free it is in spiritual beholding'. And so
it is in retiredness* of heart.
A soul is all without, whilst it is overlaid and
blinded with worldly love, it is as common as the
highway, for every stirring which cometh from
the flesh or from the hend sinketh in or goeth
through iL But tlien through grace it is drawn
into the privy-chamber, into the sight of our
Lord Jesus, and hearelh His privy counsel, and
is wonderfully comforted in the hearing. Of this
Istt. niv. speaketh the Prophst thus : Secrttum meum tm'kd^
secrelum mmtn mtht. — My privity U me, myfirivifif
Af m€. l"hat is, the lover of Jesus, throupfh inspi-
ration of gracCf taken up from outward feeling of
worldly love, and ravished into the prix-ity of
spiritual love, yleldeth thanks to Him, saying
thus : My privity to me. That is, my Lord Jesus,
Thy privity is showed to me, and privily hid from
all lovers of the world; for it is called hidden
Manna, which may easier be asked than told
what it is. And that our Lord Jesus promiseth
to His lover, saying thus; Dabo sibs Mmina ahscom'
Ajw.M ditum^ &i.\ — / wili rive her the hidden Manna
which no man kncfwctn but he that takslk ii. This
• Privi^.
The Third Book
279
Manna is heavenly meat, and angels' food, as
the Scripture saith ; for angels are fully fed
and filled with clear sight in burning love oi
our Lord Jesua, and that is Mamm; for we
may ask VL^hai ii tf, but cannot know ':i'ffai t£ ts.
But the lover of Jesus is not yet filled here» but
is fed with a little taste of it, whilst he is bound
in this bodily life.
This lasting of this Manna is a lively feeling
of grace had Ihrojph the opening of the spiritual
eye- And this grace J3 not another g^race from
that which a chosen soul feeletb in the beg-inning:
of his conversion ; but it is the self-same grace,
only it is otherwise felt and showed to a soul.
For why? Grace growcth with a soul, and the
soul groweth with grace. And the dearer that a
soul is parted from the love of the world, the
more mighty is its grace, the more inward and
more spiritual is the showing of th*^ presence of
our Lord Jeaus come to bo. So that the same
grace wViich at first lurneth bim from sin, and
maketh bim beginniny' ;ind profitini^ by R"ifts
of virtue and exercise of good works» makelh
him also perfect. And that grace is called a
Itveiy feeling of grace; for he that hath it
feeleth it well, and knoweth well by experience
that he is in grace. It is full lively lo him i for it
quickeneih the soul wonderfully, and maketh
it so whole that it feeleth no painful diseasie
of the body, though it be teeble and sickly- For
whv r Then is the bodv most mighty, most whole
and most restful, and tho soul also* Without
this grace the soul cannot live but in pain -, for it
thiriketh that it can keep it for ever, and noihing
can put it away; but it is not so, for it passeth
awav full ^^asily. Nt^vertlieless though the sove-
reign feeling passeth away, and is withdrawn,
L
28a
The Scale of Perfection
the virtue* of it stayeth still, and ke^peth ihe
soul in sobriety, t and maketh it to desire the
coming- again thereofn
Gj'*/. V, And this is the ^akrrtg sUep of ihe Spmi^f, of
the which the Scripture thus ; Egij tiorMntf ei cor
meum vigtlaL — I sUep^ and my htari wak^h^
That is, I sleep spiritually when through ^ace
the love of the worM is slain in me, and wicked
stirring's of fleshly desires are dead, irsomuch
that I scarce feel them. 1 am not held by them,
my heart is made free. And then it waketh, for
it is quick and ready to lo^'e Jesus, and see Him,
The more I sleep from outward tilings, the more
am I awake in knowing* of Jesus and of inward
things, I cannot be awiike to Jesus, except I
sleep to the world. And therefore the grace of
the Holy Ghost, sbutiirg- the fleshly eye, causeth
the soul to sleep from worldly vanities, and
opening the spiritual eye, keepeih it awake lo_
the sight of God's majesty covered ^ under i
cloud of His precious Humanity. As the Gos
saith of the Apo^iUs, when they were with o
Lord Jesus in His transfiguration, first they
Luiei't. slept; ££ cvigsi^fttes vidt/urii majcslaUm.—Thiy
'waking beheld iJis giory. By sle^p of the Apos4lej
is understood the dying of worldly love through
the inspiration of the Holy Ghost; by their
awaking is understood their CofifentpLitioH of
Jesus, Through this sleep the aoul is brought
into rest from the noise of fleshly lust, and
th'ough waking is raised up to the sight
Jesus and spiritual things. The more that the
eyes are shut^ in this manner of sleep from
the appetite of earthly things, the sharper is
the inner sight in lovely beholding of heavenly
■ 11
;i4
RdlcT.
t Sadn»>«, : Hdid i Sprrvd.
The Third Book
281
beauty/ This sleeping and this waking doth
love work through the light of grace in the
soul of thu lover of our Lord Jesus,
CHAPTER XI
How sucb apecia] Grace for the Beholding of out
Lord Jesus is withdrawn sometimes from a
Soul J and how a Soul is to twha'c herself in
the Absence and in the Pri^sence of Jesus, and
how a Soul shall alway desire (as much 3^
ta in her) the srocious Presence of Jesus
Show me then a soul that through inspiration
of grace hath this opering of ihe spiritual sight
into the beholding of J&ius that is separated
and drawn out from the love of the world, so
far forth that it haih purity and privity of spirit,
spiritual rest, inward silence and peace of con-
science, highness of thought, loneliness and
privity of heart, the waking sleep of the Spouse,
that hath lost the liking and joys of the world,
taken with delight of heavenly savour, ever
thirsting and softly hasting t after that blessed
presence of Jesus j and I dare boldly* pronounce
that this so\il burneth all in love, and shintsth
in spiritual Ught^ worthy to come to the name
and to the worship of the Spouse; for it is
reformed in feeling, made able and ready to
ConUmpiciti\in. These are the tokens of inspira-
tion in opening of the spiritual eye. For when
the eye is opened, the soul is in fiili feeling of
all the aforesaid virtues for that time.
Nevertheless it falleth out oftentimes that TTirStaU
grace withdraweth in part by reason of the "/ ^riditifa.
* Furhnd. t Hi^hLnK. ] Hardly.
3S2
The Scale of Perfection
corruption of man's frailty, and sufferetb then
the soul to fall into itself in aensualiiy,* as il was
before ; and then is the soul in pain and in
sorrow, for it is blind and unsavoury and can do
no good. It is weak arnl impotent, encumbered
with the body and all the bodily senses. It
aeekeUi and desirelli after the gvikce of Jesus
again, and it cannot find it ; for the Scripture
/ebxTixW. saith thus of our Lord: Posti^tujm vulfum suum
ahsconiitrit, &c. — Wfurt mir Lord hath hid His
face^ ihi:r£ ts none that can hthold Him. "When He
showeth His face, the soul cannot but see Him,
for He is li^hl ; and when He liideth Himselfj it
cannot see llim, for the soul is dark.
His hiding is but a subtle trying- of the souL
His showing is a wonderful merciful goodness in
comfort of tlie soul. Wonder not though the
feeling's of grace be sometimes withdrawn from a
lover of Jesus ; for liolv Writ saith the same of
the Spouse^ that it fareih thus with her : Qussivi
'CrtnL iii, ct non invmi zUum, iifc. — / scuM Him, and
I found Him riot; I ciittat^ aim He ^nswtf/d
not. That 13, when 1 fall doxvn to my frailty and
sin, then grace witlidraweth ; for my falling is
the cause thereof, and not His flying, but then
feel I pain of niy wretchedness in His absence.
And, therefore, I sought Him by great dt-sire of
heart, and He gave to rac not so much as a
feeble answer. And then I cried with all my
C*t/tt. \i. soul; Jientrtrre, dikct£ rm — Turn agnin^ Thou my
hehwcd. An:l yet lie seemed as if He heard me
not. The painful feeling- of myself, and tlie
assailing of fleshly loves anJ fears in this time,
and the wanting of my spiritual strength is a
continual crying of ray soul to Jesus- And
* Fl«ih]y h«ed.
The Third Book
nevertheless our Lord maketh strange, and
comeili not^ cry 1 never so fast ; for He is sure
enough of His lover, that he will not turn ag^iin
to worldly loves quite ; he can have no savour in
them, and, therefore, slayeth He the longer.
But al the last when He pleasethj He cometh
again full of gr^ce and faithfulness/ and visiteth
the soul that languisheth throug-h desire, by
sighings of love after His presence, and toucheth
it, and anointeth it full gently t with the oil of
gladness, and maketh it suddenly whole from all
pain. And then crieth the soid to Jesus in a
spiritual voice with a glad heart thus: Oleum
effu^nm N&men tnum. — Tky Name is as oil p&iired ^*'"'' ^'
out. ITiy Name is Jesus, that is, health. Then
as long as I feel my soul sore and sick by reason
of ein, pained with the heavy burthen of my
body, sorrowful and fearful for perils and
wretchedness of this life, so long. Lord Jesus,
Thy Name is oil shut up, not pcured forih^ But
when I feel my soul suddenly touched with the
light of Thy grace, healed and cured J from all the
filth of sin, and comforted in love and in light
with spiritual strength and gladness unspeakable,
then can I say with lusty, loving and spiritual
might to Thee : Thy A'umt^, O y^'su, is to me oil
poured fi>rtk. For by the effect of ITiy gracious
visitation 1 feel well the true exposition of Thy
Name, that Thou art Jesus, healthy for only Thy
gracious presence healeth me from sorrow and
from sin,
Happy 15 that soul that is ever fed with feel-
ing of love in His pre'ience, or is borne up by
d**5Lre to Him in His absence. A wise lover is
he, and well taught, that soberly and reverently
* SoihfkaLDCu. tSoAly. X Sofled.
28+
The Scale of Perfection
fas. 1.
behaveth himself in His presence, and lovely
beholdeth Him without dissolute lightness, and
patiemly and easily beareth His absence wichoul
venomous despair and over painfuj bitterness.
This chargeability of the absence and pre-
sence of Jesus, which a soul feeleth, is neither
the perfection of the soul nor is it contrary to the
grace of perfection or of Cmttemplatsmi^ but only
a state of less perfection ; for the more letting
that a soul hath of itself from the coniiant feeling
of grace, the less is the grace ; and yet, neverthe-
less, is the grace in itself grace of Ct/n/trnf^inftim,
This changeability of absence and presence
falleth as well in the state of perfection as in the
state of beginning, but after another manner;
for even as there is diversity of feeling in the
presence of grace betwixt these two slates, right
SO is there in the absence of grace. And, there-
fore» he that knowelh not the absence of ^►^race is
apt to be deceived. And he that maketh* noi
much of the presence of grace is unthankful f to
the visiting thereof, whether he be in tlie state of
beginners or of the perfect. Nevertheless, the
more stableness that there is in grace unhurt and
unbroken, the lovelier is the soul, and more like
unto Him in whom ts no cfi(tJigtif>Icu£'ss^ as the
Afosfle saith. And it is very meet that the
Spouse should be like her Bridegroom Jesus in
manners and in virtui^s, fully according to Him in
atableness of perfect love- But that falleth out
seldom here in Spouses of this life; for he that
perceiveth ro changeableness in the feeling of
his grace, but is all alike, whole, stable, unbroken
and unhurtf as he thinketh, he is either very per-
fect or very blind. Ha is perfect if he be se-
KecpB not, t Unkind,
The Third Book 285
questercd from all camal affections and inclina-
tions* to creatures^ and hath all hindrancest of
CDiTuption and of sin betwixt Jesus and his soul
broken away, and is fully linitedf to Him with
softness of love. But this is only from grace
above man's nature. Or he is very blind if ho
iiraginech himself to be in grace without
spiritual feeling of God's inspiration, and setteth
himself in a way of sLableness, ai if he were ever
in feeling and in working of special grace,
imagining all to be grace which he doth, and
feeleth, both inwardly and outwardly, thinking
that whatsoever he doth or apealceth is grace,
holding himself unchangeable in speciality of
grace. If there be any such, as I hope there ia
none, he is full blind in feeling of grace
But thou mavest object : That we ought to
live only by Faith, and not covet spiritual feel-
ings, nor reg.^rd them if ihey come ; for the
Apostie saith; Ihe ju^t sh<ill itve by faith. U^h, s.
Unto thi-s I answer that bodily feelings, be
they never so comfortable, are not to be desired
nor regarded much if they come; but spiritual
ft*lings, such as I have spoken of, if they come
in that manner as J have said, should ever be
dfisired. I mean the killing of all worldly love,
the openintj of the spiritual eye» purity of spirit,
peace of conscience and all other spoken of
before> We should ever covet to feel the lively
inspiration of grace made by the spiritual pre-
sence of J^sus in our souls, if we could. And for
to have Him in our sight with reverence, and
ever fesl the sweetness of His love by a wonder-
ful familiarity of His presence. This should
be our life and our feelirg in grare after the
386
The Scale of Perfection
measure of His gift in whom all grace is, to some
more and to some less; for His presence ia felt
in divers mariiiers as He pleaseih. And !□ this
we should live and work IhaC which belongeth to
us to workt for without thb we should not be able
to live spiritually. For as the soul is the life ot
the body, right so is Jesus the life of the aoul by
His gracious presence.
And, nevertlieless, this manner of feeling-,
though it be never so much^ is but in faith in
comparison of that which shall be of the self-
same Jesus in the bliss t»f Heaven. Lo, this
feeling should we desire ; for every reasonable
soul ought to covet, with all its power, ta
approach to Jesus, and to be united to Him
through feeling of His gracious invisible pre-
sence- How that presence is felt may belter be
kno\vn by experience than by any ^uTiting; for it
is the life and the love, the miii'ht and the light,
the joy and the rest of a chosen soul. And,
therefore, he that hath once truly felt it cannot
forbear it without pain, neither can he choose but
desire it, it is so good in itself and so comfortable.
What is more comfortable here for a soul than to
be drawn out Through grace from the coisomeness
of worldly business and filth of desires^ and from
vain affection of all creatures, into rest and soft-
ness of spiritual love, secretly perceiving the
gracious presence of Jtjsus, and feelingly fed
with the savour of His invisible blessed Facer
Verily, I think nothing can make the soul of
a lover full of mirth but the gracious presence of
Jesus, as He can show Himself to a pure soul;
such an one is never heavy, never sorry but when
he is with himself in sensuality. He is never full
glad, nor merry, but when he is out of himself as
being with Jesus in spirit.
The Third Book
287
And yet Js that no full mirth, for there ever
hangeth a heavy lump of bodily corruption on
his soul, and b^areth it down, and hindereih
much the spiritual gfladness, and this must ever
be whilst it is here in this life. But whereas
1 have before spoken of ihe changeability of
grace, how it cometh and goeth. thai thou mis-
take me not ; thou must understand tliat I mean
not of common grace, that is had and felt in faith
and in goodwill to God ; without having and
lusting of which, and continuing in it, none can
be saved; for it is in the least chosen soul that
liveth. But I mean of special grace felt by
inspiration of the Holy Ghost in that manner as
I have said before. Common grace, which is
Charity^ lasteth whole whatsoever a man doth, as
long as his will and" bis intent is true to God,
which will of his keepeth him from sinning
deadly, and the deed that he wittingly doth is
not forbidden under a mortal sin ; for this grare
3S not lost but by mortal sins. And then is a sin
mortal when his conscience witnesseth with
deliberation that it is mortal sin, and yet never-
ihelfss he doth it; or else his conscience is ^o
blinded that he holdeth it no deadly sin, alihouj^h
he doth the deed wilfully, which is forbidden by
God and holy Church as a deadly sin.
Special grace felt through the invisible pre-
sence of Je-sus, which maketh a soul a perfect
lover, la^teth not ever alike whole in the height
of ftelinp, but changeably cometh and goeth, as
I have said before. Thus our 1 ord saith ^
Sptrtius uhi vidl sptrat^ &c. — The spirit blou'^fh S^MniB.
•miiere tt hsfcih, and ihim. hesrtsl His voter, bui //tcu
knff^t'fsi noi whence He comfth^ nor whtfhet IJa
gviih^ He Cometh secretly sometimes when thou
art lea^t aware of Him, but thou ahalt know Him
288
The Scale of Pcrfccti*
full well ere He go ; for He wDnderfuUy stirretli
and mightily tumeth thy heart into tlie beholding
of His goodness, and then doth ihy heart melt
delectAblyas wax against the fire mlo soreness of
His love, and this is the voice that He soundeth.
But then He goeth ere thou percelvesc. for H^™
withdraweth Himself somewhat, not wholly a^H
together, bill from excess into moderation.^^
The height of feeling passeih, but the substance
and the effect of Grace dwelleth still. And that
is as long as the soul of a lover keepeth himself
pure, and falleth not wilfully into wretchedness
or carelessness t in sensuality, nor to ouiwai
vanity, as sometimes it doth [though it hai
no delight therein) out of frailty. This is tl
changeability of grace which I meant ai
spake of.
CHAPTER Xn
A Commendation of Prayer cfferfd up to Jesus
a Contemplative Soul, and how siableness
Prayer is a secure work to stand ini and hi
every Feeling o£ Grace in a chosen Soul may be
called Je«us, But the more clean ihe SouJ la, ij
more worthy ihe Grac? ia
The 5ou1 of a man, whilst it is not touched wit
special grace, is blunt and gross for spiritui
work, and can do nought therein. It skilleth n*
thereof by reason of its weakness. It is both oh
and dry, undevout and unsavoury in itself. But
then Cometh the light of grace^ and through
touching maketh it sharp and subtle, ready and
able to spiritual work, and givoth it a great
* Sobriely. t DiaaaJiilion.
The Third Book
289
dom and a perfect readiness in will to be pliable"
to all the sLirrings of grace, rtady to work after
that grace atirreth the souL For by opening of
the spiritual eye it is wholly applied to grace,
ready to pray. And how ihe soul then prayeth I
shall tell thee»
The most special prayer that the soul useth
and hath most comJort in, 1 suppose, is the Paisr
nosier or else /'saims of the Psalitr^ The Paier
nosiit foT unlearned men ; and Psaims and
Hymns and other sen-ice of holy Church for the
learned. The soul prayeth, therefore, not in that
manner as it did before, after the common way of
men by highness of voice, or by reasonable
speaking out ; but in fiill gjeat stillness of voice
and softness of heart. For why r His mind ia
not troubled nor hindered with outward thingSj
but wholly gathered together into itself. And
the soul is set, as ii were, in the spiritual pre-
sence of Jesus, and, therefore, every word and
every syliable is sounded savourly, sweetly and
delectably, with full accord of mouth and of
heart. For why } The soul is then turned all
tnio the fire of love. And, therefore, every word
that it secretly prayeth is like a spark rising out
of a burning fire, which ht-ateth f all the powers of
the soul, and turneth ihem into love, and en-
lighteiieih them so conifurtably that the soul
listeih ever to pray and to do nothing else. The
more it prayeth ihe better it may, and the
mightier it is. For grace helpeth the soul well,
and makcth all things light and easy, that it
delighteth to chant and sing the praises J of God
with spiritual mirth in heavenly delight. This
spiritual work is Xhr food of the soul, and this
HiiKDiJi- t Cb^flelL iLovinK*'
19
PxMlm tvX.
290
The Scale of Perfection
prayer Is of grreat virtue, for it wastcth and
bringeth to nought all secret and open tempta-
tions of the enemy, and slayeln all the mind
and all the liking 0I the world and of flf*shly sins.
It lieareth up the body and the soul from painful
feeling uf die w retc lied n ess of this life. It keep-
eth the soul in the feeling- of grace and working
of iove, and nourisheth it ever alike hoi, as sticks
nounshech the fire. It putteth away all irksotne-
nes5 and heaviness of heart, and holdeth it i^^
strength and spiritual gladness. ^H
Of this pn^yer speak eth David i^\^^^ : Z>irigi^^
iur oraho mca stcui incaisum, &c. — Lei mi prayer
be dressed as incense :n Thy sight. For even as
incense that is cast into the fire makeih a sweet
smell by the smoke rising up to the air, right so
a Psfilm savoudv and softly sung or said ia a
burning heart, giveih up a sweeL smell to the
face or our Lord Jesu^ii and 10 all the Court of
Heaven. There dare nn fle&h-fly rest upon the
pot's brink boiling on the fire. Ev'en so can no
fleshly dciieht rest upon a clean soul, that is all
bilapped * and warmed in the fire of iove, boiling
an'l bIowii>g up Psaitns and prayers to Jesus.
This prayer is always heard of Jesus. It yieldelh
grace to Jesus, and r^eiveih grace again. It
makeih a soul familiar.t and, as it were, hail-
ffllow wiih Jeiius, and with all the Angels in
Heaven, use it who so can. The Wf^rk is good
and gracious in ilself. And though it be not
alto^if^ther perfect Confer /•hiiOH in itself, nor the
working of love by itself, nevertheless it is in
part Contfmpliitioii. For whv \ It cannot be
exercised in this manner but by plenty of grace
thruugh opening of the spiritual eye. And,
■ Happed. t Homely*
The Third Book
191
therefore, a soul that hath this hreedom and this
gracious feeling in praying with spiritual savour
and heavenly delight hath the grace of Ccn-
tcmplation in the manner as it is.
This prayer is a rich offering filled all with
fatness of devotion, received by Angels and pre-
sented to the face of Jesus. The prayer of other
men, who are busy in active works, 13 made of
two words; for they oltentimes form in their
hearts one word through thinking' of worldly
business, and speak with their mouth another
word of the Psalm sung or said. Yet, neverthe-
lessj if his intent be true his prayer 13 good and
acceptable, though it lack savour and sweetness-
But this prayer of a Contemplative man is made
bur of one word ; for as it is formed in the heart,
right so doth it wholly sound in the mouth, as it
were nothing but one and the same thing-, botk
which formeth it and which soundeth it. And
verily no more it is, for the soul» through grace,
is made whole in itsel J so far parted from sensu-
ality,* that it is master of the body, and then is
the body nothing else but as an JnsUunjent and
a trumpet of the soul in the which the soul
bloweth sweet notes of spiritual prayers to Jesust
This is the trumpet that Davjd spake of thus:
Bucctnatc in ncomenta^ &€, — Bii?w yc th£ trumpet
in the new mtwn^ TliaC is, ye souls that are
reformed in spiritual life through opening of the
inner eye, blow ye devoutly the sounding of
FsalfHS with the trumpet of your bodily tongue.
And, therefore, since this prayer is pleasant to
Jesus, and so profitable to the soul, it is good for
him who is new converted to God (and desires to
please Him, and coveteth to have some quaint
fjolm Lxix,
Fl«hty heecL
2^2 The Scale of Perfection
feeling of g^race) to covet this feeling, ihat he may
through gr3.ce come to this liberty of spirit and
offer his prayers and his Psalms to Jesus con-
tinually and stably and devoutly, with whole
raind and burning affection towards Him, so that
he may be ready for it through custom when
grace will stir him up thereto. This is a secure
ieeling, and a true one. If thou canst attain unto
it and keep it, thou shalt not need to run about
here and there and ask questions of every spiri-
tual man what thou should^t do, how thou
shouldst love God, and how thou shouldst senrft
(rod, and speak of spiritual matters, that pass
thy understanding, as perhaps some do: Such
kind of doings are not profitable unless in case
of necessity. Keep thee to thy prayers, quietly
at iirst with thy own great industry, that thoa
mayest afterwards come to this restful feeling of
spiritual prayer, and that sliall teach thee wisdom
enough in verity witliout feigning or fancy; and
hold thee on in such prayer if thou hast gotten
it and leave it not i but if cr^ce come otherwise,
and removeth it from thee for a time, causing
thee to work on another manner, then mavest
thou leave it for a time, and after return again
thereto. And he that hath this grace in prayer
asketh not whereupon he should set the point of
his thought in his prayer, whether upon the
words that he spcaketh^ or else on God, or on
the Name of JesuSj as some ask, for this feeling
of grace will teach him well enough. For why:
The soul is turned into the eye, and sharply be-
holdeth the face of Jesus, and is ascertained that
it is Jesus that it fceleth and seeth. 1 do not
mean Jesus as He is in Himself, in fulress of
His blessed Godhead \ but I mean Jesus, as He
v^ pleased to ^how Himself to a clean soul, yet
•A
The Third Book 393
in the body accordtrff to tlie clcannesi that it
hath. For thou must know that every feeling of
grace is Jesus, and may be called Jesus. And
accarding* as the grace is more or \e^s, so feelech
the soul more or less of Jesus. Yea, the first
feeling' of special grace in a beginner^ which is
called grace of compunction and contrition for
his sins, is verily Jesus. Far why ? He causeth
that contrition in a soul by His presence. But
Jesus is then very grossly and rudely felt, very
far from this spiritual subtlety \ for the soul can
nor may do no better by reason of its unclean-
ness. Nevertheless, afterward^ if the soul profit
and increase in virtues and in cleanness, the
same Je^us, and none oiher, is seen and felt by
the same soul \\hen it is touched with grace ;
but that is more spiritually, and nearer to His
Divinity. And verily that is the chiefest thing
that Jesus loveth in a soul, that it may be made
spiritual and divine in sight and in love, like to
Him in grace, as He is by nature! for that shall
be the end of all lovers.
Then mayest thou be secure, that at what
time thou feel est thy soul stirred by grace,
?ipecially in that manner as I have said be-
fore, by opening of thy spiritual eye that thou
seest and feelesC Jesus, hoJd Him fast whilst
thou may, and keep thyself in grace, and let
Him not easily go from thee. Look after rone
other Jesus but that same, by feeling of that
self-same grace more divinely that it may in-
crease in thee more and more. And be not
afraid, though Jesus whom thou feelest be not
Jesus as He is in His fiill Godhead, that thou
therefore mayest be dtc<Mved if thou trust to
that feeling. But trust thou well, if thou b«
a lover of Jesus, that thy feeling is true, and
aw
The Scale of Perfection
that Jesus IS truly felt and seen of thee throu£;h
HU grace as Ihou canst see Him here. And
therelore trust fully to thy feeling when it is
gracious and spiritual, and keep it tenderly, and
have great dainty, not of thyself, but of it, that
thou mayest see and feel Jesus ^ti^ better and
better. For grace shall ever teacli thee by
itself, if thou wilt fall thereto, till thou come
to the end.
But perchance thou beginne-st to wonder why
X say one time that grace worketh all this, and
another lime that love wtirkelhT or God worketh ^
UiHo thi^ I answer thus; That when I say
that grace worketh, I mean both love, and Jesus,
and God; for all is one, and nought but one;
Jesus is love,* Jesus is grace, Jesas is God. And
because He worketh all in us by His grace for
love, as He is God, therefore may I use which
of these four words I Hst after my stirring in this
writing.
CHAPTER Xlll
How a Soul through the oppning of the splrirital Eyf
receiv«th i ffracious Love enabling to understand
the Holy Scripturcsj and how Jesus, that la hid
in the Holy Scriptures, showeth Hijnself to His
Lovers
"When a soul thus feeleth Jesus in prayer, he
thinkeih that he shall never feel otherwise.
Nev#?rtheless it happeneth that sometimes grac6
puiteth vocal prayer to silence^ and stiireih the
soul to see and to feel Jesus in another manner.
And that manner is first to see Jesus in the holy
Scriptures ; for Jesus, who is all truth, is hid and
covered therein, folded in a soft Syndon, under
* t Jobn if.
The Third Book
295
fair words, that He cannot be known nor felt but
of a clean heart. For why f Truth will noi show
itself to enemies, but ta friends, thai love and
de.sire it with an humble heart. For Truth and
Humility are full true Sisters> fastened tog-ether
in love and charityj and there is no di>lai'ce of
counsel betwixt them two. Humility presumeth
upon Truth, and not at all on itseh; and Tnitli
esteemeth well of Humility^ so they accord well
together. Then forasmuch as the soul oi a lo^'er
is made humble through inspiration of grace by
opening- of Che spiritual eye, and seeth that it is
nought of itself, but only hangeth on the mercy
and the goodness of Jesus perpetually, being-
borne up by the favour and help of Him only,
and truly desiring' His presence, thereiure seelh
it Jesus i for it seeth the truth ot holy Scriptures
wonderfully showeJ and opened above study and
industry and reason of man's natural wit. And
that may well be called iKe feeling and the per-
ceiving of Jesus- For Jesus is the fountain of
Wisdom i and by pouring down of His Wisdom
into a clean soul, by little and litiie, He maketh
the soul wise enough for to underKiand all holy
Scripture; not all at once in special beholding,
but through that grace the soul receiveth a new'
ability and a gr.tcious habit 10 understand it,
particularly when it com^th tu mind. This open-
ing and this cleanness of understanding is made
by the spiritual pre^ente of Jesus: tor ri>*^ht as
the Gospel saith of the two Disciples going 10
EmmatiSt burning in deaire and speaking of our
Lord Jesus, our Lord appeared 10 thrm pre-
sently as a pilgrim, and taught ihem the pro-
phecies of Himself. And as the G(?ip-l ^ailh:
Aperutt tihs s^nsum, ^c. — He opined their 7vt/<. st Lntt-c^v
that ihcy mi^hi und^nlmU ihc Scnjfiurts. Right
2<yb
The Scale of PcrfccHor
Srj^nxv.
5o the spiritual presence of J«ua openeth the wit
of His lover. That \x burnerh in desire to Hira.
and briogeth to His mind by ministration of
AngelSj the words and sentences oi hnly Writ
unsought and unconsidered one after another,
and expoundelh them rcadiiv, be they never io
hard nor so secret. The harder they be. and
farther from man's understanding by reason, the
more delectable is the true showing of them.
When Jesus is the teacher, it is expounded and
declared liieraih. trnfralh, myiUcally and heavmly^
if the matter wiU bear :t- By the iitinsl (which
is the ea^ieat and plainest) corporal nature U
comforted. By the viorai^ the soul is informed
concerning vices and virluest to be able wisely
to distinguish the one from the other- By tftc
mysticai it is enlif^fhtened to see the works of
Jesus in holy Church, readily to apply the
words of holy Writ to f'hrist our head, and to
holy Church, which is His mystical body. The
fourth, which is heavenly^ belongeth only to the
workintr of love, and that is, when all truth in
holy Writ is applied to love. And because this
is most like to heavenly feelii^g, therefore I call
it heavenly.
The lover of Jesus is His friend, not for that
he deservelh it. but because Jesus of His merciful
goodness maketh him His fnend by true accord.
And therefore to him He showeth His secrets, as
to a true friend that p)easeth Him by love, not
serveth Him through fear in slavery. Thus He
saith Himself to His Ap&slles: Jam vos ^I'xi
arnicas t^aia ^ua^iumqt4£ attdivi a Pain niio iwiti
fe£i votis.^j\'€f:v hav^ I caHed you frtends^ for I
ho-ve made known unh ytttA all (hat I have heard
ef the Fiither. To a clean soul whose palate is
purified &om blth of fltf^hJy love, holy Writ
wnt^y
r
The Third Book
=97
lively food and sustenance ddectable. Itsavout-
ech wonderful sweetly when it is well chewed by
spiritual undprstandrng. For why^ The spirit
of life is hid therein, that quickeneth all the
powers of the soul, and fiJleth them lull of
sweetness of heavenly savour and spiriiual de-
light. But verily he must have white teeth,
and sharp, and well picked, that c^in bite of
This spiritual bread ; for fleshly lovers and
heretics may not touch the inward flour of it.
Their teetli are bTocdy, and full of filih, there-
fore must they be lasting from feeling of this
bread, By teeth J understand the inward
senses of the soul, which in fleshly lovers and
heretics are bloody, full of sin and worldly
vanities. They would, but they cannot come
through curiosity to the truth in knowing of
holy Writ; lor their senses are corrupted by
original and actual sin, and are not yet healed
through grace. And therefure they do but ynaw
upon the outward bark, spealc they never so
much thereof. The inner savour within they
taste not of They be not humble, they be not
pure for to see it. They be not friends to Jesust
and therefore He showeth them not His counsel.
The mystery of holy Writ Is closed under a key,
and sealed with a signet of Jesus' fing-er, which
is the Holv Ghost, and therefore without His
love and His leave may none come inn He
alone hath the key of skill* in His keeping, as
holy Writ saith, and He Hiirself is the key; /^n. miK.
and He letletli in whom He will by inspiration
of His grace, and breaketh not the seal.
And this doth Jesus to Plis lovers, but not to
all alike, but to them that are specially inspired
* Cuanifif ,
293
The Scale of Perfection
for lo ieelc Truth in holy Writ, with great de-
votion in praying, and with much bu^-.mess in
stmlying going htfore. These may come to the
finding oi ii, when our Lord will be pleased to
show It, See now, then, hove grace openeth
the bpiricual eve, and cleareth the senses of the
soul wonderfully above the frailty of corrupt
nature- It giveth the soul a new ability whether
it wLil read holy Writ, or hear it» or meditate m
it, for to understand truly and savourly the truth
of it in the manner aforesaid; and also for to
turn readily all reasons and words that are lite-
rally spoken in spiritual undersianding-. And
that is no great wonder, for the same Spirit that
made the Scripture.^, expoundeth It and declareth
it to a clean soul for its comfort — namely, the
Holy Ghost.
And this grace may be, and is, as well in lay-
men as in the learned, as to the substance and
true feeling" of the verity and spiritual savouf
of it in geiieral, though they see not so many
reasons in special; for thni needeih not. And
when the soul is thus enabled, and enlightened
thrcjugh grace, then he cliooseth to be alone
sometimes, out of the letting and meddling with
all creatures, that he ma> freWy exercise his
instrument, which I call his reason of beholding
of verity which is contained in holy Scriptures.
And then will there fall into his mind words
and reasons and senses enough to busy him,
and that lull orderly and lull seriously. And
what comfort and spiritual delight, what savour
and sweetness a soul i-an then leel in that
spiritual exercise through divers illuminatiors,
inward perceivings, secret knowings and sud-
den touchings ot the HoSy Ghosi, a \oul can
only know by experiencei and not otherwise.
(
The Third Book zgg
And I hope ihat he shall not err, if so be his
teeth, that is his inward senses, be kept white
and dean from spiritual pride, and from curiosity
of his natural wit. I believe David felt full greai
delight in this manner of working, when he said
thus ; Quam duicta faucihus mas elotjuia Tua,
&€, — Hmu swift are Thy '.vords unto my taste I PsalmcxfAiL
swteUr than honey to my mouth. That is. Lord
Jesus, Thy holy words endlled in ho]y Writ,
brought to my mind by grace, are sweeter to
my taste, that is the affections of my soul, than
honey is to my mouth. Verily this U a fair
work without painful travail for to see Jesus
thus. This is one manner of sight of Jesus, as
I said before; not as He is, but clothed under the
likeness of works and of words, per sp€cuium, m
anigmate.^In a gtuss^ and by a ttk^russ^ as the ' '^'^ '^''
Apostle saitK Jesus is endless might, wisdom
and goodness, righteousness, truth, holiness
and mercy. And what this Jesus is in Him-
self can no soul see nor hear; but by the effects
of His working may be seen through the light
of grace. As thus, His might is seen by mak-
ing' of all creatures of nothing-; His wisdom
in orderly disposing of them ; His goodness
in saving of them ; His mercy in forgiveness
of sins i His holiness in gifts of grace; His
righteousness In severely punishing of sin ; His
gentleness in true rewarding of good works*
And all this is expressed in holy Writ, and
this a soul seeth there with all other attributes
that pertain thereto. And be thou well as-
suredj Chat such gracious knowings in holy
Writ, or in other writings, which are made by
the assistance of God's grace, are nought else
but sweet letters sent and made betwixt a
loviny *oul and Jesus the beluved. Or eise.
300
The Scale of Perfection
that I may speale truUtr, betwixt Jesus the true
lover and the scuU beloved of Him- He hath
full great tenderness of love to all hit chosen
children, that arc here closed in clay of this
bodily life. And therefore, though He be absent
from them, hiph, hid above in the hosom of the
Father, filled with the delights of the Blessed
Godhead, yet notwithstanding' He thinketh upon
iheni, and visileth thera full oft ihroug^h Hia
gracious spiritual presence, and comforteth thera
by His letters of holy Writ, and dnveth out of
their hearts heaviness and wearisoineness, doubts
and frars, and maketh them truly g'L^d and merry
in Him, believing in all His promises, and humbly
continuing fulfilling His will.
Som. XV. S^ Paul saith thus; Qutxcumqut scrt^ia sunt,
&C. — Wka/sa/rver things art wrtf/trtj are writitrt
for our tnstructiont that tvf Might have hffp^ through
the Ci'mfort of the Scrtptures. And this is another
work of CotitetKplattony to see Jesus in the Scrip-
tures after the opening of the Npiritual eye. The
cleaner the sight is in beholding, the more com-
forted is the affection in tasting-. A full HttJe
savour felt in a clean soul of holy Writ in this
manner abovesaid, should make the soul set little
price by knowing of all the seven liberal arts, or
of all the world, or all worldly wisdom ; for the
end of this knowing is the salvation of a man's
soul in everlasting life ; and the end of that other
knowledge, as to himself, is but vanity and a
fading delight, unless by grace it be turned to
this end.
Tht Third Book
301
CHAPTER XIV
Of tht Bfctet Voice oi Jesus sounding in a Soul, and
how it miy be kacwo* And how all the e^^ioua
lUuminations oiddc in a Soul \x c^ed tke Speak'
Inga of Jesus
Lo, these are fair new feelings in a clean soul;
and if a soul were filleJ wirh such, it might be
saidj and that truly» that it were reformed some-
what in feeling, but not yet fully ; for why? Yet
Jesu£ showeih more, and leadeth the soul inward,
and beginneih to speak more familiarly, and
more lovely to a soul, and maketh it more ready
to follow the stirrings of grace- For the Prophti
saith : Qin}cumque ibat ipiritus^illuc grndithantut Eucu
r/ toUb sequtnUs eum. — U'htthersoever the spirit
evenly iktthcr 'went the wheels fclliywing him. By
wheels are understood the true lovers of Jesus,
for they are round in virtue, without angle of
frowardness; and lightly whirling through readi-
ness of will after the stirrings of grace ; lor
according as grace stirreth and leadieth, so
they follow and work, as the Prophet saith.
But first, they have a full secure experience,
and a true knowing of the voice of grace, ere
ihcy do so; that they be not deceived by their
fjwn feigning, or by the mid-day fiend- Our
Lord Jesus saiih thus of His lovers: Oves m€i€ stjohn i.
vocem ijieam audtttnt^ &'c. — My shetp hear My
vQtci^ and I know themt and (hey knam Me. The
privy voice of Jesus is full true, and it maketh
a soul true ; there is no feigning in it, nor on
fancy, nor pride, ror hyprocrisy ; but gentle-
ness, humility, peace, love and charity. And
3oa
The Scale of Perfection
it is full of life, love and grace. And
therefore when it soundelh in a soul, it ia
of so great power somecimes^ that the soul
suddenly Uyeih aside all that was in hand, u
praying, speakirig^, reading or thinking ; in
the manner abovesaid, and all manner of bodily
work, and listeneth thereto fully, hearing and
perceiving in rest and in love the sweet soimd
of thia spiritual \oice, as il were ravished
from the mind of all earthly things, and then
in this quiet, jesus Bometimes showeth Himself
as an awful' master, and sometimes as a reverend
Father, and sometimes as a lovely Spouse. And
it keepetli a soul in a wonderful reverence, and
in a loveJy beholding of Him, that the soul
liketh wtii then, and never so well as then;
for it feeleth so great security, and so great rest
in Jesus, and so much savour of ilis goodness,
that it would ever be so, and nevtr do other
work. It thinkeih that it toucheih Jesus, and
through virtue of that unspeakab.e touching. It
13 made whole and stable in itself, reverently
beholding Jesus only^ as if there were nothing
but Jesus, one thing, and himfielf another^ home
up only by the sa\ our and the wonderful good-
ness of Him ; that is that thing which he feelelt
and seeth. And this feeling is ofttimes without
special beholding of holy Writ, and with but few
words formed in the mind; only there falls in
among swpet words, according to the feeling
either of loving, or worshipping, or admiring, or
otherwise sounding, as the htart Hkeih. The
soul is ver}' much separated from love or liking
of the world* through virtue of this gracious
feeling, and also very much from minding of the
• H&ugbtrkiL
The Third Book
303
world in that time. It taketh no heed thereof,
for it hath no lime thereto. But then someiimes
anon, together with this, falli?th into a soul divers
illuminationa through grace, which I call the
speaking^s of Jesus, and the sight of spiritual
things; for be thou assured, that ail the business
that Jesus maketh about a soul, is for to make
it a true periect spouse to Him in the height and
the fulness of love, and that cannot be done
suddenly. Therefore Jesus, who is love, and of
all lovf-rs the wisest, iiraveth by many ways, and
by many wonderful means, ere this can coma
about. And therefijre that it may come to the
efftct of irue espousing, He haih such gracious
speakings of a wooer to a chosen soul. He
shew*?th His privy jewels; many things He
giveth, and more He promisclh ; and showetK
courteous dalliance. He often visiteih her with
much grace and spirilual comfort, as I have said
before; but how He doih iliis in pariicular. I
cannot fuJJy telJ thee, for it needeth not. Never-
theles.*^ somewhat shall I say, according* aa grace
enablelh me-
Tiie drawingr of a soul fully to perfect love, is,
first by the !^ho^villg of spiritual things to a clean
soul, when the spiritual eye is opened j not that
a soul should rest therein, and make an end
there, but should by that search Him and love
Him who is highest of all» without any beholding
of any other thing than He»
But thou wilt ask, what are these spiritual
thin):js, because 1 speak so oft of spiriiual things?
To this I say that spiritual things may be
said all the truth of holy -Scnpiurp, A'ld there-
fore a soul that through light of grace can see
the truth of Scripiure, seeih spiritual things, a^ I
have said before.
304
The Scale of Perfection
CHAPTER XV
SECTION I
How rhrough ^r&dous Opening oi ihe SpiriEuaJ Eye
« SoLil is made Wise, humbly and Iruiv to 5cc Lfic
Diversities of Df threes in Holy Church, u
Milirant, and for io spe (he nature oF AageU : *ni
first of the Reprob^xe
Nevertheless, other spirituaJ things there be
also, which through light of grace are showed to
the aoul, and are these : the nature of all reason-
able jiouls, and ih*; gracious workings of our Lord
Jesus in thcni ; the nature of angels, boih good
and baj, and their workings, and the knowlpfdge
of the Blessed Trinity, according? as grace
teacheth. Holy Wnt saith of the Spouae ihofr
Camt^L in the Canticles: Surgam e£ ctnutbo avifattm,
&€. — / Will arisfj and go aiout the ctiy^ ami vtil
seek Him w/iom my soul iavdh. Thai is, I will
rise into highness of thought, and g-o about the
City- By ihih City is understood tiie Univer^uy
of all cr<;atures, corporal and spiritual, ordertd
and ruled under God by laws of nature, of reason
and of grace. I go about this ciiy when 1 behold
the natures and causes of bodily creatures, the
gifts of grace, and the bli&ses ol spiritual crea-
tures. And in all these I seek Him wliom my
^ouL lovelh. It is pleasant looking with the
inner eye on Jesus in bodily creatures, to see His
power, His wisdom and His g-oodneas in order-
ing of their natures ; but it is much more
beautiful to look on Jesus in spiritual creatures:
First in rea^Linable houls, both elect and repro-
bate, to £ee the mercilul calling of them CO
The Third Book
305
election, how He turneth them from sin by the
light of His gfrace> how He help«th them,
teach eth them, chasteneth them, comforieih
them; He sanctifieth, cleanseth and feedeth
them; how He maketh them burning In love
and in light throug-h plenty of His grace. And
thus doih He, not to one soul only, but to all
His chosen according' 10 the measure of His grace.
Also concerning the reprobate, he seeth how
justly he forsaketh them, and leaveth them in
their sins, and doth them no wrong. How He
rewardelh them in this world, suffering them
to have the fulfilling of their own will, and after
to punish them endlessly- Lo, this is a Uule
beholciing of holy Churchy whilst it U militant
in this life, by seeing how black and how foul it
secmeih in souls that are reprobate; and how
fair and how lovely it is in chosen souls.
And all this spiritual sight is nought else but
the sight of jesus, not in Himself but in His
merciful secret works, and in His righteous judge-
ments every day showed, remembered and re-
newed to reasonable souls, ^lorco^'er, to see
with the spiritual eye the pains of the repro-
bate and the joy and bliss of chosen souls is
full comfortable. For truth cannot be seen in a
clean soul Avithout great delight and wonderful
content of blessed burning love.
Also the sight of the nature of Angels, first
of the damned, then of the blessed ; as it is a full
pleasant contemplation concerning the devil in a
clean souh When grace bringeth the fiend into
the sight of the soul, as a clumsy caiti^ bound by
the power of Jesus that he cannot hurt ; then the
soul beholdeih him not bodily, but spiritually,
seeing his nature and his malice, and turneth
him upside down ^nd spoilcth him and rendeth
2tJ
3o6
The Scale of Perfection
him all to noug:ht, scorneth him and de&pisetb
him, and settetli nought by his malice. Thus
biddeth holy Writ, when it saith Ihus ; V^rU
Prvv. Jtii. imptum. tt rii//t erit. — Turn the wicked^ that is, the
ti6nd, upside down, and he shaii be as nought.
Much wonder hath the soul that the fiend hath so
much malica and so Httle mlgiic. There is no
creature so weak as he is; and therefore it i»
greai: cowardice that men fear him so much. He
can do nothing without leave of our Lord Jesus,
not so much as enter into a >wine, as the Gospel
St Ma//. v]n. saith, mucti less can he do then to annoy anv man.
And therefore if our Lord Je^us i^Ive him
leave to tempt us, it is full worthily and merci-
fiiUy done, that he doth so ; and therefore
welcome be our Lord Jesus by Himself^ and l^
all His messeng-ers. The soul feareth no more
the blustering of the fiend than the stirring of
a mouse. Wondrous wroth is the Jiend when we
say nay to his temptations, but his mouth is
stopped with his own malice. His hands are
bound like a ihieve's, worthy to be judged and
hanged in hell. And then the soul accuseth
him, and doth justly condemn him according" to
his deserts. Wonder not at this saying, for
Si Paul meant the same, when he saith thus:
C^t, tI, 3' FraSrcs ri£sci£{s,&c. — Brefhrciiy knmx} yCJiot that^c
shall judge the angefs ? namely, those that are
wicked spirits through malice that were made
good anyeis by nature. As who should say,
yes : this judp^ing is JigTired before the day of
judgement in CofUempluiive souls, for they feel a
little tasting in likeness of all that shall be done,
afterwarJa of our Lord Jesus openly in truth.
Shamed and troubled ■ is the fiend greatly in him-
sielf, when he is thus used by a clean soul. He
The Third Book
307
would fain fly away, but he cannot, for the power
of the Highest holdeth him stilh and ihat ^nev-
eth him more than all the fire cif helL Then
falleth the soul wonderfully humble under Jesus
wiih hearty praises, for ihat He so niigiiiily
saveth a simple soul from aU the malice of so
Cruei an enemy by His great mercy.
SECTION n
How by ike aame light of Grace the Nature of the
bles:i£d Angels is st^a. And how Jesu5 is God
and Man abcve all Creafurca. according lo thai
which the Soul may see of Him here
And then after this by the selfsame light ma.y
the soul spiritually see the beauty ot the Angels,
the wurihiness of their nature, the suiiilety of
their substance, their confirming in grace, their
fulness in endless bliss^ the diversity of their
orders; the distinctions of persons, how they
all live in light of endless truth ; and bow they
burn all in love of the Holy Ghost, according-
to the worthiness of their orders ; how they see
and love and praise Jesus in blessed rtsi with-
out ceasing-. There is no sight of a body, nor
any fii^ure in imagination, in this manner of work-
ing-, but all spiritual^ and of spiritual creatures.
Then beginneth the soul to have great ac-
quaintance and great fellowship with the blessed
spirits. They are full lender and full busy about
such a soul to help it, they are masters to teach
it. And often by their spiritual presence and
touchiog of their ligiit drive out fancies from
the soul. They enlighten the soul graciously;
they comfort the souJ with sweet words sud-
So8
The Scale of Perfection
denly sourded in a elf an heart ; and if any
disease fall spiritually, they serve the soul and
minister to it all thsl it needeih. Thus St
Btb. i. Paul said of them s Kftff^ ye not Skat they ars
all mtfiislcring sj^in/s, scrU for them ^ha shall
be firsts 0/ salvafion .' As if he had said thust
Know ye that all this spiritual working- of words
and of reasons, brovight to the uiiTidl, and such
fair likeness are made by the ministiy of Anceis,
when the light of grace abundantly shineth in
a clean soul. It cannot be told by tongue the
feelings, the enlighten in g-s^ the graces and ihe
comforts in specln.1 thai clean souls perceive by
the favourable fcllow^^hip of blessed Angels. The
soul is so well pleased with beholding what they
do that it would willingly attend to nothing else.
But then with the help of Angels the 50ul yei
seeth more; for knoiA'ing' in a clean soul riseth
higher above all this, and that is to behold the
blessed nature of Jesus. First of His glorious
humanity, how it is worthily exalted above the
natiire of Angels, and afterwards of His blessed
Divinity, for by knowing of creatures is known
the Creator; and then beginneih the soul 10
perceive a little of the mvsteries of the Blessed
Trinity, And this it may do well enough, for
the light of grace going before, she cannot err
as long as she holdeth her in that light. Tlien
is opened really to the eye of the soul the unity
in substance, and distinction of persons in the
Blessed Trinity, as ii may be seen in this life, and
much other truth of the Blessed Trinity pertinent
to this matter ; the which is open!/ declared and
shown by writings of holy docTors of holy Church,
And be Tou assured that one and Ihesamevcrity
concerning the Blessed Trinitv thai these holy
doctors, inspired through grace, writ in tbeir
The Third Book 309
books for the strengtheij'ng- of our truths & dean
soul may see in krowing- through the same light
of gTEice. I will not express too much of this
matter here in particular, for It needeth not
Wondrous great love feedeth the soul with
heavenly delight in feeling- of tins trutli* when
it is wrought through special grace; for love and
light go both together in a clean soul. There is
no love that riseth out of knowing, aid from
special beholding that can sooner touch our
Lord than this can^ For why? This knowing
of Jesus» God and Man, is alone in itself the
worthiest and the highest, if it be specially
shown hy the light of grace. And therefore is
the fire of flaming love hereof more burning than
ii is of any creature, corporal or incorporaL And
all these gracious knowings of the university of
all creatures felt in a soul in manner abovesaid,
and of our Lord Jesus, the maker and keeper
of all this fair university^ I call fair words, and
sweet speakings of our Lord Jesus to a 5ouI,
which He means to make His true Spouse.
He showelh His mysteries^ proffereth rich gifts
out of His treasury, and arrayeth the soul with
them full beautifully. She need not thcncc-
forw'ard be ashamed of the company of her
fellows, to appear before the face of Jesus her
Spouse- All this lovely dalliance of private
conference betwixt Jesus and a soul may be
called a hidden word; of the which Scripture
saiih thus: Porro ad me dictum €st verbum ah'
scotidtfum, &c. — Moreover to me there was spoken joh. \y,
a S€cr£f ^'ord, and the v/>ins of Hii ivkhpettng mine
ear kcik fcrccived. The inspiration of Jesus is
a hidden word, for it is privily hid from aU
lovers of the world, and shown to His lover&j
through which a clean soul perceiveih readily
1
3to
The Scale of Perfection
the veins of His whispering, ihat is the special
showings of His truih ; for every gracious know-
ing- of truth felt with inward savour and spiritual
delight is a privy whispering of Jesus in the ear
of a dean soul. He mu^t have much cleanness
and humilitv a-nd all other virtu es« and must be
halt'df^af to the noise of worldly janglings, that
Will wisely perceive tho'^e sweet spiritual whis-
perings, tliai IS the voice of Jesus, Of the which
Ps, KJty'ul D^vtd switch thus ; Vox Domifti praparantis cei'vot^
&c. — The voice of the Lord prtpartth haris, and
shail dtsayifer thick woods. That is, the inspira^
tion of Jesus makcth souls light as deer, that
start from the groiird over bushes and briars of
all worldly vaniiies; and He showeth to them
the tliickets, that is, His mysteries, which can-
not be perceived but by a sharp eye. These be-
holdings, solidly grounded in grace and humiliiVi
make a soul wise and burning in desire to the
face of Jesus. These are the spiritual things
that I sp.ike of before, and they be called new
gracious feelings i and 1 do out touch them a
little for direciion of a soul; for a soul that is
pure, stirred up by grace to use this working,
may see more of such spiritual matter in aa hour
than can be writ in a great book.
Thus finisheth this present book, which ex-
poundeth many notable doctrines in Contempla-
tion, which to me seem*-th right expedient to
thos*? that set their felicity in busying them-
selves specially for their souls' health.
The following vtftses form ikt colopfkdci to Wynkyn
dt Worde's fdUion of ihe "Scale," and are rc-
- printed from the 1659 edition.
Infinite laud with ihankmgs vmnifotd,
I yield to Godt m£ succottniig wilh l/ts grace;
Thss Book to /inisli, ivhtcM as ye behold.
Scale of Perfection'^ dilkd in every place :
Whereof £h' Author Waiter Hilton wus.
And Wynkin de Word this hath sel in print i
In William Caxton'j house, so fell the case^
God rest his soul, in joy there may
This hea-Denly Book more preciirus than gold^
Was lately directed zttth great humilttyt
Fvr godly pleasure thereon io behold.
Unto the right ncble ]\largaret ets ye sei^
The King 's Mother of ejcctUcTU bounty^
Hany the severith, that yesus him preserve,
Tfiis mighty Prtmcss hath commanded me
T'lmprini this Book, her grace f&r to deserve.
302
The Scale of Perfection
it is full of life, love and grace. And
therefore when k aoundeth in a soul, it is
of so great power somerimes, that the soul
suddenly Uyeth aside all that was in hand, &s
praying, .speaking^, reading or thinkirg- ; in
the manner abovesaid^ and all manner of bodilv
work, and liateneth thereto fully, heaxing^ and
perceiving in re&t and in love the sweet sound
of this spiritual voice, as it were ravi&hed
from the mind of all earthly things, and then
in this quiet, Jesus sometimes showeth Himself
as an awful* master, and sometimes as a reverend
Father, and sometimes as a lovely Spouse. And
it keepeih a soul in a wonderful reverence, and
in a lovely beholding of Him, that the soul
liketh well thcn» and never so well as then;
for it feeleth so great security, and so great rest
in Jesus, and so much savour cf His gfoodne&s,
that it would ever be so, and never do other
worlc It thinketh that it loucheth Jesus, and
through virtue of that uii.^peakable touching, it
is made whole and stable in itself, reverently
beholding Jesus only, as if there were nothing
but Jesus, one thing, and himself another, borne
up only by the 5 a i. our and the wonderful good-
ness of Him ; that is that thing which he feeleth
and seetK And this feeling is ofttimes without
special beholding of holy Writ, and with but few
words formed in the mind; only there falls in
among sweet words, according to the feeling
either of loving, or worshipping, or admiring, or
otherwise sounding, as the hc*art liketh. The
soul is very much separated from love or liking
of the world, through virtue of this gracious
feeling, and also very much from minding of the
HnughtfuL
ANOTHER TREATISE OF
THE SAME AUTHOR j* ^
Written to a dcvoul man of secular
Estale ^ Teaching hina bow to lead
a spiritual life iLercin
Ill
M
TREATISE WRITTEN TO A
DEVOUT MAN
CHAPTER 1
Ttkac he v/ho intends to become a SpirJIual Maji
must first use much Bodily Ezcrciae in Pen^actt
and m Deslrovins of Sin
Dear Brother in Christ,— There be in the
holy Church two kinds of life, by the which
Christian souls do serve and please God, and
procure their own salvation. The one is cor-
poral, the other spiritual.
Corporal working- appertaineth principally
to the men and women of the world, who for
the nature of their estate do lawfully u^e worldly
g^oods, and intermeddle and deal with worldly
businesses and affairs, This life also belong"eEh
to all young beg-inners m spiritualiiy, who ho
but newly converted from sensual and worldly
sins to the service of God; and this life is to
dispose and enable such persons for spiritual
working, by taming" the body by corporal works
and exercises, and thereby bringing it into
obedience and subjection to the spirit, whereby
it may become supple and ready, and not much
contrarious to the spirit in her spiritual ex-
ercisings ; for as St Paul saith, iha£ ivom'tn was
ynade for tnan^ and not vi'i'fi for Ttfoman. Even so
corporal working was ordained for spiritual^ and
^
3*6
Treatise vrittOL
not spiritual working for corporal. Corporal
working is to go before, and spiritual working
Cometh after, as the same S( Paul saith in these
words : 7'hai is not first which is spiri/ua/, but
that which is sensr&U jor corporal' a/ft-ntfird^
comctk thai -whtch w sftrttuai. And the rea^n
why it should be so is this, that we are bora
in sin and in corruption of the flesh, by the which
we are in souls so blinded and so o^'erlaid that
we neither have the spiritual sight or knowing
of God by light of understanding, nor the spiritu-
al tasting or feeling of Him by a clean desire of
loving i and therefore we cannot suddenly start
out of the dark night of this fleshly corruption
into the spiritual light; for we are not as yet
able to endure such spiritual light, by reason of
the sickness of our souls, any more than we can
with our bodily eyes, when they are sore, behold
and look upon the light of the sun ; and for that
cause we must expect and work by degrees and
process of time. First, by corporal works dili-
gently, till we be discharged, or much lightened,
or ea^ed from this heavy burden of sin and
Bensuality, that hindereth us from spiritual
working; and lill our souls be somewhat
cleansed from great outward sins, and enabled
for spiritual workings.
By the corporal working that I speak of,
thou must underJitand that 1 mean all manner
of good works or deeds that thy soul doth by the
senses or the members of thy body, either upon
or towards thyself, as in fasting, watching,
or in restraining thy fleshly or sensual desires,
by penance-doing, or other acts of mortification.
Or upon, or towards thy Christian brother, in
performance of the works of mercy, spiritual or
corporal. Or to, or towards God Himself, by
to 4 Devout Man
3»7
suffering (for the \ove of Him and His ju&tice)
all manner of bodily pains and afRiction^ Ihat
shall occur for ihee to undergo, either as im-
mediately from His own hands, or by the means
and from the hands of other creatures of His.
A]l these kind of works done in faith and out
of chanty (without which they are of no worth)
do please God. Therefore whoso desireth to
become a spiritual man> it will be securest and
protitable for him that he be first, for a long
time, well exercised in these corporal workings,
for these corporal deeds are practices and tokens
af moral virtjes, without which a sou) is not
able to work spiritually. Break down first pride
within thee by bodily sufferings and bearings,
and al^o by thinkin^f^ in thy mind of something
that will help to humbie thee; and, moreover, by
eschewing and avoiding all ostentations, boast-
ings, or praising of thyself, either privately by
thyself in thy mind, or by thy words or extern^
deeds, or carnage towards, or with others; by
this means casting away and mortifying within
thee all vainglory and complacence in thyself
for any talent, gift, or thing corporal or spiritual
that God bath bestowed on thee. Also morlify
and destroy within thee, so soon as thou art
abl*:^. all envy and anger towards thy Christian
brethren ; whether they be rich or poor, good or
bad, hate ihem not* nor disdain them, nor wil-
lingly offend ih(*m by words or by deeds. Like-
wise destroy and morlify in thee all coveting of
worldly goods, and see that neither for the
j^eltins", or holding, nor saving of them, thou do
not offend thy conscience, nor break verily with
God, or thy Christian brother, for the love of
any earthly thing ; but what thou gettesl. or
hast, keep it without inordinate love or affection
to it, and 5pend it as reasonable occasions shall
require, for the honour of God, and ihe succour of
thy Christian brother. Mortify also, ajid de*
stroy as much as thou canst, all yielding to
bodily sloih, and unnecessary bodily ea^e, and
the sensual vices of gluttony and luxury, with
the inordinations that ri&e out of them. And
after that thou hasi been well exercised and
tried in all such kind of corporat works, thou
laayest then by tiie grace of God, ordain thee,
and apply thee to spintual working-
The j,'Tace and guodntss of our Lord Jesus
Christ, that He haih showed to thee, in with-
drawing of ihine heart from the love and Hking
of worldly vanity, and from the use of fleshly and
sensual sins, and in turningof thy will entirely to
Hisservice, bringethintc mine heart much matter
to love Him in iJis mercy; and also it greatly
moveih and urgeih me to strengthen thee in thy
good purpose, and in the work which thou hast
begun between thee and God, so that it may be
brought to a good end. And so Jar as may be in
my power to help thee in it, my best endeavours
in it I shall most willingly afford thee, first and
principally for the ser\'ice and Iionour of God, and
next in requital of thy tender afti^ction of love
thou bearest to me, though I be a wretch, and
unworthy of thy love or favour, I know well the
desire of thy heart, as how that thou greatly covet-
est to serve our Lord both in soul and body, fully
and wholly, without intermeddling or troubling
thyself in worldly businesses, that so thou
mayesl by the grace of" God, attain to more
knowle'dgCj and spiritual feeling of God, and of
spiritual things. Such desire of thine is [as
1 hope) good, and from God, for it is set upon
Him in charity spiritually. Nevertheless, as in
regard of esttemal matters and workings in th<
to a Devout Man 319
such desire of thine is to be moderated and ruled
with discretion, according* to the nature and
quality of thy estate, which thou art to regard in
thy spiritual intentions ; for charity unruled, that
is^ not rightly ordered^ turneth sometimes into
a fault or vice. And therefore it is said of oiir
Lord by a holy soul in the holy Scripture ; He
ka(h ord£r£d chartty in me;* that is to say, our
Lord g:ivetb to me charityi hath set it in order
and good rule within me, whereby it might not
err in its exercise, nor be lost through my in-
discreet doings. Even so the said desire and
chanty which our Lord hath wrought in thee,
out of His goodness and mercyj must be so ruled
and moderated, that in the exercises of it, it do
regard the nature of thy estate and condition
of life, and the manner of living, which in former
I time thcu hast held, and the measure and quan-
I tity of virtues that now are in thee. Thou must
I not altogether follow thy said desire in giving
over or neglecting those businesses and cares of
^ the world that are necessary, and do belong to
thee, either for the upholding of thy own person
I in bis degree, or in the ruling or ordering of
I other persons or things that pertain to thy
charge, and give thee wholly to retiredness,
spiritual devotions and holy meditations, as if
thou wert a TViar or Monk, or another man tliat
were not bound (as thou art) to the world by
I children or servants i for it is not for thee to
, do so, and if thou dost, then keepest thou not the
order of charity. Also if thou wouldst alto-
gether leave and forbear all spiritual exercises
especially now after the grace and calling that
God hath given thee for them) and give thy-
"^If wholly to the businesses of the world, in.
fulfilling of the works of the active life, as iully
I ■ CuL -^ 4.
3W
TreatJM written
as do other men, that never felt such devotion,
nor had such grace or callings as thou hAst, thou
dost then leave the order of charity ; for thy
stale requlreth of thee to attend lo each of them
in divers times. Thou shalt mirgle the works of
active life with the spiritual works of the con-
templative life, and then thou dost weU ; for
thou shall sometimes be bu&y, with Martha, for to
order and govern thine household, ihy children,
thy servants, thy neighbours and ihy tenants. If
they do well, comfort and hdp them therein ; if
they do amiss, then tell and teach them for their
amendment, and chastise them as there shall be
cause. Thou shah also wisely look after and
know thy things and thy worldly goods, as that
ihey be well and duly used or p^e^e^ved by ihy
servant-^, well ordered and reasonably spent,
whereby thou mayt-si the more plenieously, out
of thy temporal means, fulfil the deeds of mercy
and charily towards thy Christian brethren,
-^5o thou shall sometimes, with \fary, leave
or lay aside the businesses of the worlds and
shah alt down at the feet of our Lord with hu-
mility, in prayers and holy thoughts, and in
ConUmplalion of Him, according to the grace
that He shall give thee tor it, and so thou shall
go from, that one to thai other, profitably and
&uitful]y, and ful^ them both ; and so doing
thou obaenrest well the order of chanty,
CHAPTER n
To wfial kind of Men the Active Life pertaSi
But that thou roayest the iess wonder at
that I have said, and that thou mayest better
understand the reason thereof, therefore I shall
declare the matter a little more fully to thee»
d
!0 a Devout Man
321
rhou must understand that God is served by
iiree kinds of life, as either by an active lite,
)r by a coniemplative, or by a third, that is
nixed of them both, and therefore is commonly
called a mixed life. The active life belongeth
;o worldly men and women that are gross and
ignorant, as to the understanding: or knowledg:e
>f spiritual exercises or ways, for they neither
eel nor taste devotion by fervour of love as
>theT men do. nor can they well conceive what
.t is or how it may be come by; and neverthe-
less, ihey have in them the fear of God and of
the pains of Hell, and therefore they eschew and
Ibrbear >in, and have a desire for to please God*
uid to attain to Heaven, and a good will they
bear to their Christian brethren. Unto these
men it is needful and speedful to use the works
&f the active life as diligently as they can in the
belp of themselves and of their Christian brethren,
Eor more they cannot do.
i>
CHAPTER m
To wfiom the Contcmplaiive Life appcHaineit
The Conlemplanve life appertaineih only id such
men and women as for the love of God have lor-
saken all notorious sins, both of the fl'i-sh and of
the world, and have given over all intermeddiing'
ffilh the affairs and businesses of ihe world, or
srith worldly goods, as aKo all care and charge
over others, and all superiority or offices that
concern the government of others [it ever they
had any such) and make themselves poor and,
AS it were, naked from all the things of this life
save for what their corporal nature doth merely
21
322
^
Treatise written
need and of necessity require. Unto these men
and women it apppnaineth diligently and sen-
Ously to employ themselves in internal exercises,
for lo get thereby (through the grace of our Lord
cleanness in heart and peace in conscience by
destroying of sin and gaining of virtue, and so
to come to ConteropUlion ; since i^uch cleanness
(necessary for Coniemplation) cannot be had
without much exercise of body and continual
travail or industry in spirit^ by devout praj-er*^
fervent desires and spiritual meditation.
CHAPTER IV
To whom ippertaiaetli iht ULixtd Life
The third kind of life that is called the mixed
life belongeth to Prelates of holy Church and to
pastors and curates who have charg-e and supe-
riority over otht-r men or women, for to leach
and govern them, both as to their bodies and as
to their souls, and principally to animate and
guide tliern in the performance of the deeds of
mercy both corpural and spiritual towards their
Christian brethren- Unto tliese men of the noixed
life it appettaineth sometimes to use the works of
mercy in active liff, In help and sustenance of
themselves and o( their subjects and of others
also, and sometimes for to leave all manner of
external businesses and to give ihtmselves to
contemplative exercises, as to prayer and medi-
tations, reading of holy Scriptures or other good
books or to some other spiritual exercises, ac-
cording to what they shall (eel themBelves dis-
posed, Also, this mixed life appenaineth to
some temporal men, who are owners of much
land and goods and have withal some domi,
to a Devout Man
323
or mastership over other men, for to govern and
sustain them, a^ a fa^ther haih over his children,
and X master over his servants, and a lord over
his tenants; the which men have received also
of our Lord's gift, the grace of Devotion, and in
some measure a taste and practice of spiritual
CKercise. Unto these men> T say, belongeth the
foresaid mixed life, that is both active and con-
templative; for if these nien having (as they
have} iuch external charge and cares lying on
them, out of some obligation or necessity, would
altogether leave or neglect such charge and busi-
nesses of the world pertaining* to them^ and give
themselves wholly to the exercises of contempla-
tive life, they would not do well in so doing, for
Ihcy observe not the order of charily ; for charity
(as thou well knowest) consisieih in the love of
God and of thy Christian brethren. And there-
fore he that hath charity in him, will not by oc-
casion of his devotions, used immoderately to-
wards God, omit that which he ought to do
towards his Christian brother, but will serve
both God and them for God, at divers times, aS'
now the one and then the other; for he that for
the loving of God in Confemplalion leaveth the
loving of his Christian brethren, and doth not
perform towards them that which he ought, and
is bound unto, he fulfilleth not the rule and obli-
g'ation of charity. Likewise on the contrary side
whoso hath so great a regard to the works of ihe
active life and to the business of the world that
for the love of his Christian brethren, and the
serving of them, he leaveth or neglecteth all
spiritual exercises, God having given him a call
thereunto, he fulfilleth not charity, and so saith
SI Gre^y^ For though our Saviour Christ, for
to stir up ^Qine to use the mixed life, took upon
324
Treatise wrirten
Hraselfthe person of such manner of men, i.*,
bith of Prelates and of such other as are OE the
said mixed estate, ard gave them exatnpie by
His own working that they should upon occasion
use the exercises of ihe mixed life, as H^ Him-
sell did at those times that He spoke with men
and meddled with them, showing and exercising
Hl& deeds of mercy towards them, taught tht
ignorant by His preaching, visiteJ the sick and
healed them of their diseases, fed the hungn' and
comforted the sorrowful; nevertheless, at oihet
limes He left the ccnversation of vorldiv m&^,
and even of His own disciples, and went into the
des+Ti upon the hills, and continued there all
night all atone in prayers, as the Gospel tesri-
fietb to us. And this mixed life did our Lord in
Himself exercise^ and show in the same manner,
for an example to all other men that have lakm
on them the stale or condition that requireth the
exercises of the said mixed life, that is to say.
that they should sometimes apply themselves JO
the external affairs and businesses belonging to
their charge, and to ihe curing of such their
Christian brethren as pertain to them to look
to, instruct or provide for; and this to do ac-
cording to reason and discretion and their need;
and at another lime to g-ive themselves to dev-o-
tion and to the exercises of a Coni€mthttve\\S»^
bein^ principally [as before J have saidj reading
and praying.
CHAPTER V
How holy Bishops hpld aoJ us?J thr said Mix^d Life
The said mixed life did holy Bishops hold and
lead, who had charge over men's souls and had
the ministration and disposal of temporal goods ;
to a Devout Man
325
for those holy men did not wholly forsake the
administraLion, lookirg to, and the disposal of
worldly goods, ard give themselves altogether,
or unreasonably to Contemplation, noiwithsiand-
irg the grace and gift they had for Contempla-
tion; but very often left their own rest in Con-
templation (which for their parts they had much
rather have continued in still) for the love and
service of their Christian brethren, and were con-
tented to intermeddle with worldly businesses,
for succouring and helping' of those that were
under their charge; and surely such doing of
theirs was true charity. For justly and discreetly
did they divide the time of their life into two
parts, whereof the one they bestowed in the lower
part of love and charity, that is to say, in the
works of the active life (for they were bound
thereto by taking on them their Prelacy); and
another part of their time they spent in tha
higher part of love and charitj", and that was in
the contemplation of God, and of spiritual things
by prayers and holy recollections i and so they
had and held charity to God and their Christian
brethren, both interiorly in affection of soul, and
also eslericrly by doing and performing good
corporal or external works. Other men that
were only coniemplatlves^ and were free from all
cares and Prelacies, they also had charity towards
God and their Christian brethren, but it was only
interiorly m the affection of their soul, and not
used outwardly in corporal deeds; and it maybe
it was so increased inwardly through their con-
templations, that they needed not to intermeddle
with external things for the bettering their
chanty ; nor did u belong to their state ot life to
seek after such external workings, nor to inter-
meddle therewith^ there being' no necessity nor
326
Treatise written
obligation for k on them ; and so their internal
charity sufficed for them. But those, whom
before I mentioned, that were in Prelacy, and
others also that were holy secular men, had
perfect charity, both interiorly in their affectiorif
and did also exercise the same exteriorly in
bodilv working or deeds, and such doin^ is
properly the mixed life which I have spoken of,
consisting of the active and contemplative both
together. And surely for such men that are in
spiritual superiority, or have charge of the souls
of others, as Prelates, Pastors and Curates have*
or that are in temporal authority in the govern^
ment of others, as worldly Lords and Slasters
are, I hold this mixed life best, and most ^X^H
pedient or necessary for them, so Jong as the^^
remain in the said superiority and charge over
others. But as tor others that are free, and noi
obliged to any ministration or superiority, tem-
poral or spiritual, I judge that the contemplative
life alone by itself (if they have grace and calling
to it) were, in truth, the best, the most expedient,
most meritorious, most fair and raost worthy for
them to use, and not willingly to leave il for any
outward working of the active life, unless it were
in case of great need, as for the helping or com-
forting of some other men, either in their bodies
or in their souls ; and need requiring it, he to go
about the doing of it, either when the party, or
some other for him, requesteih, and craveth at
his hands the doing of it ; or that him*>elf sees a
mere necessity in ihe case, or elae (being re-
ligiousj when he is bidden by his superior to
undertake or intermeddle witJi the work.
to a Devout Man
327
CHAPTER VI
Vliat kind of Life WAS most fitline for hira for whom
this Twaiisc was made
By that which I have said thou mayest partly
understand the differences between one and
anc ther of the aforesaid three kinds of lives 1 and
thou mayest by what I have said also judg^e
which of them best fitteth thee, since that our
Lord hath ordained and set tliee in a state of
superiority (of such nature a±i it isj and authority
over otliers, and hath lent thee some store of
worldly goods and lands, by the which thou
Tiiayesi not only maintain and sustain thyself,
but al-o all those oiber special persons that are
under thy aulhority and government, and might-
e&t witbal govern them accoruing* to thy best
knowledge and ability ; and therewith also thou
hast, through the goudness of our Lordj received
Irom Him the g^race for 10 kno\v thyself, and
a spiriiual desire and ta>le of His love, I am of
the mind that the life which I have termed to be
n^ixed is best and most befitiing thee; and thou
accordingly lo divide and dispose of thy time
wisely and to the sati^faciion of the foresaid
rule of charity* For know thou well that if thou
leave the necessary business or the active life
belonginc to thee, and be careless, and take no
heed of thy worldly g"oods as how they be kept
or spent, nor lookest after tho^e that pertain to
thy charge to see they do well, nor wih afford
thy h-^lp upon the necessity of thy Christian
brother by reason of thy love and de^re thou
hast to aitply thyself only to solitUile and spiri-
tual exercises, imagining that by so doing thou
3^8
Treatise written
art excusec^ and freed from ihy foresaid obliga- '
tions. If. I sayt ttiou do so, thou 6o*n not widely
nor profitably for thy soul; for what arc thy
works or exercises worth (be they spiritual or
corporal} urless they be done according' to jusuce
and reason, to the honour of God and agreeable
to His uili f surely they are even nothing- worth.
Therefore if thou leave or neglect thai thing
which thou art bound unto by th(* law of chancy,
justice or other obhgatioii, and wilt entirely five
thee to another thine, voluntarily taken on thee,
under pretence of better pleismg and serving of
God, in a thing which thou art not bound unto,
in so doing- thou dost no discreet or acceptable
service to Him, In so doingf thou art careful to
do honour and worship to His head and to His
face, and to deck and adorn them fairly and
curiously, bur thou neglectest and leavest His
body, with the feet, ragged and rent, and takest
no care nor heed of chera, nor Josl thou arytliing
honour Him; and it is but a shame and an
indignity and no kind of horiour for a man lo be
curiou&ly dressed and decked about his head cviih
pearls and precious stones, and therewith lo
have all his body naked and bare, as it were
a beggar. Even so spiritually, it is no honour to
God tor one to crown His head and leave His
body bare; for thou must understand that our
Lord Jesus Christ, as a man, is the head of His
spiritual body, which is the holy Church, the
members or limbs of His body are all Christian
men, some are arms, some are feet, and some ^^^h
other members, according to the qualities, coni^|
dition or estatps they are of in the holy Church.
And now if thou be diligent with all thy skill
and ability for lo deck and adorn His head, that
13. ior to honour Him with the remembrance
to a Devout Man
329
His passion ard of His other works done in Kia
humanity, with devotioHj love and thanks to
Him £or the same, and furgfetlest or reg-lectest
His feet (which are thy children, thy servants,
thy tenants and all thy Christian brethren) and
lettest them to decay or peri^ih for want of look-
ing to, or to want clothing sufiicifent, or other
necessanes, or otherwise not looked unto and
provided for as they ought to he, then dost thou
not please Him, nor doest Him any honour; thou
seemest to kiss His mouih by devotion and
spiritual prayer, but thou treadest upon His feet,
and dealest ihem, inasmuch as thou wilt not tend
to them (through thy negligence) that belong to
thy charge and care* This 15 my opinion and ad-
vice to thee in this point ; nevertheless if thou be
of the Tti]nd that 1 say not aright in this matter,
for that thou thinkest it were a fairer and more
pleasing oflice to God for to do honour to His
bead, as to be all day devoutly thinking of His
passioHj and producing acts of inw.ird aiTection
upon it, than for to go home to other worlds that
are more external, and make clean His feet, as
for Co employ thyself both in words and deeds
about the helping or benefiiing of thy Christian
brethren, in so thinking thou thinkest amiss, and
mistakest. For surely he will m<)re thank thee
and reward thee for the humble washing of His
feet when they are very foul, and yield an ill
savour to thee, than for all the curious painting
and fair dressing or decking that thou canst
make about His head, by the devuutest remem-
brance of His humanity; for It is fair enough,
and needeth not much decking or dressing from
thee i but for His feet, and other His limbs, that
are sometimes ill-arrayed, and have need to be
holpen by thee (namely, since thou art bound
330
Treatise written
thereto), our Lord will render thee more thnnks, il
thou wilt humbly and charitably look unto them.
For the lower or meaner that the service which
tbou dost to thy Lord seemeth to be, in regard
they are peifurmed towards His members, and
not immediately towards Himself, yet doinf^ il
for the love of Him, when reasonable occasions
or need require it» and that with a cheerful and
humble heart, thou much more please^t Him
than in service immediat'-ly done to Himself
with omission of these offices of need or cliaritjr
towards thy Christian brethren. And that Ihoo
mayest be the more willing to go about such an
employment, thou shalt do well to think that it is
sufficient, and best of all for thee to be employed
in the veiy least degree, and lowest estate of
service, especially since it is His will that it
so> For ihou must think, that since He hath pB
thee into that cha.rge and estate of life, thai it ii
the very best for thee> and tliai thou canst not do
belter than in perlorming what bflong's ihereio
in the best manner and with all the willlngTiess
and gladness of mind that thou art able.
This I tell tbee not as though that already th^^|
dost it not, and better too ; but to the end that thd^^
shouldst do it with more alacrity and cheerful-
ness by occasion of this my writing; andshouldst
not think it much sometimes to lessen or forbear
thy spiritual exercise for to go and deal in worldly
affairs pertaining lo thee and ihy estate, as to the
looking and seeing too, that thy gc>oJs be well
kept and spent according to reason, looking to
the behaviour of thy servants and thy tenants,
and doing other good deeds towards thy Chris-
tian brethren according to thy ability and their
need, but ^houldst perform both these works and
exercises, that i& to say, the internal and ext
I
to a Devout Man
331
at divers and several times, and with ^3 gfood a
will the one as the other, so far as thou canst.
As for example, if thou hast been at thy prayer
and spiritual exercise, that finished ihou shalt
go and busy thyself in some corporal or external
doing concerning thy Christian brethren, and
therefore spend reasonable time with willingness
and gladness of mind. And after that thou hast
been busily employed for a time about thy ser-
vants, and other men with whom thou shalt have
occasions, and hast profitably spent with them
so much time as shall be truly needful^ thou shalt
then break from these external doings, and shalt
return again to thy prayers and devotions, which
thou shalt perform according to the grace that
God shall give thee for it ; and so doing, thou,
by the grace of our Lord, shalt put away and
avoid sloth, laj:iness, idleness and vain rest,
which often creep upon us through the deceit-
fulness of our nature, under pretence or colour
of contemplation or other spiritual recollections;
whereby we come to omit the performance of
good and meritorious external affairs and busi-
nesses pertaining to us and our charge by the
appointment or providence of God, And thus
thou sh^lt be always in some good exercise or
other, internal or external, by lurns, and in their
proper times.
Therefore thou shalt do well to observe and do
that spiritually, that is, in ihy carriage in a spiri-
tual life» which 7*iff^ did in a matterthat was only
corporal or external. The holy Scripture telleth^
how that ytuoh^ when he began to serve his master
Laban,h& coveted y^flt-^/^/his master's dau;^hler for
herfairnesstobehjfi wife, and for the having of her
he ser%'ed seven years ; but when he had thought
for to have had her to his wife, he had first Leah^
33i
Treatise written
the other daug;hter, instead of Ra^Met^ and after-
wards he takes Rachel, and so Ke had boih U
the last. By Ji^cob in holy Scripture is under-
stood an overcomer of sins; by those two »-ives
are understood, as St Gregory saith, the tan
kinds of lives that are in the holy Churcii,
which are the active life and the contempla-
tive Jife< J^eah is as much to say as labour
and painful working, and beCokeneth the aciiw
life, Rachel is as much as to say as a sig-hl
of the beginning', which is God, and betokeoelb
the contemplative lile. Leah bore children, bul
she was sore-eyed. Rachel was fair and lovely,
but she was barren. And now even as yam
coveted Rachel for her fairness, and yet had hCT
not when he would, but first took Leah and
aftenvards Raehel, even so. every mar labour-
ing, and heanily seeking (by compunction for
his former ^eat sins of the flesh and of the
world) now to become a new ser\'ant to God in
cleanness of good living', hath a great desire to
have and come by Rachel, which is lo ha\-e rtsi
in spiritual sweetness, devotion and contempt^'
Iwrt^ for it is so fair, and so lovely a life,
in hope for to have it he determined with h
self, by Ihe grace of our Lord, for to ser^-e Him
with all his diligence and might; but oft-times
when he thinketh lo have Rachel, that is, rest
in devottorty our Lord suffereth him to be w
exercised and tried, either with the temptati
of the world, or of the devil, or of his flesh,
else with some external businesses and doing,
corporal or spiritual, in help or succour of his
Chri.stiari brethren; and when he is thus well
exercised, and in travails with Z-eah, and Is
well-nigh overcome, then our Lord giveth him
Rackety that is^ grace and devotion^ and rest
Hiin'
mes
rest
to a Devout Man
333
in conscience, and then hath he both Rachsl
and Leah.
So shah thou do, according' to the example
of Jaccif^ these two lives, active and contem-
plative, since God calleth and enableth thee
for both, and use the one with the other of
them- By the one life (which is the active)
thou fihalt brin^ forth the fruit of many g:ood
deeds in help of thy Christian brethren ; and
bv the other shalt thou be made to become
fain clear-sighted and clean in the supreme
brightness and beauty, which is God, the be-
ginner and ender of all that is made ; and then
shah thou be iraly Jacobs and an out-goer and
overcomer of all sins; and after that, by the
grace of God, thy name shall be changed, as
Jacob's name was, find turned into Israel, and
Israel is as much as to say : a man seeing God.
Therefore, if thou be first Jacob, and will dis-
creetly use these two lives afterwards, in time
thou shalt be Israel, that is, a true amtemplaiive^
either in this Hfe, if God will deliver thee, and
make thee free from the charges and businesses
which thou art bound to, or else after this life,
fully and perfectly in the bliss of heaven when
thou comest thither. A man shall desire a
conlcmplative life» for it is fair and full of merit,
therefore thou shalt ever have it in thy mind,
and in thy desire ; but thou shalt have in using
active life, for it is both expedient and necessary.
Therefore, if upon just occasions, either concern-
ing thy children or thy servants or any other
of thy Christian brethren, for their profit or
their heart'-s ease, upon reasonable cause, ask-
ing it of thee, thou be put from thy rest in
devotion, when thou hadst much rather stay
itill ihereat, be not angry with them, nor heavy
334
Treatise writtci
or sad within thyself, so far as thou art
to help it, nor ^.iraid, as if God would be anj
with thee, that thou leavest Him for any oth^r
business or doings, for He will not be
but well pleased and delighted thou so do.
therefore in such a case readily leave o£F t1
devotion of what kind soever it be, and
about the deed, being" service to thy Christian
brethren^ and that as willing and readily, as U
our Lord Himself had called and bidden the«
to go about it. Do so, I say, and endure tbe
difl^culty thou lindest in it for His loi'C; aod
put away all grudging for it, so far as cbou
canst; as also all bitterness and offence taken
against thy Christian brother for calling Iboe
to the said employment.
CHAPTER VU
Thit a Man'a Devotion aomflicnes will hi ihe ^rcatB
by person of the outward Work which b«fofc out
of Charily he hai been in hand with
And it may fail out sometimes that the greater
trouble thou hast exteriorly had in doing of thy
active works, the more iiiEamed desire shalt thou
afterwards have to God and the more sight ol
God and spiritual things, through the grace d"
our Lord, in devotion when thou comest thereto:
for it farelh thereby as if thou hadst a little coal
of fire, and would^t make a fire therewith, and
make it burn ; thou wouldst first lay to some sticks,
and with ihem over-cover the coal so that there
is as yet no show or seeming hope of fire by it;
nevertheless when thou hast abiden awhile an
afterwards blowest it a little, anon, suddenly
there will arise out a gr^at fljime of fire, so that
the sticks will be turned all into fire. Even so is
I
to a Devout Man
335
it spiritually; thy will and thy desire that thou
hast to Crod is as it were a little coal of fire in
thy soul, for it giveth to thee somewhat of light
and of spiritual heat ; but it is very little that it
giveth, for often it waxeth cold and turneth
to a fleshly rest (or into a rest of flesh and sensu-
ality) and sometimes into idleness and doing* of no
good ; therefore it is expedient that thou put
to sticks, that is, some works of the active life;
and though it be so that those works do seem for
a time to be a let to thy desire, so that it may not
be so entire nor so fervent as thou wouldst
it were, yet be not daunted nor troubled thereat,
but abideand suffer awhile, and so blow at the fire;
that is, first g^o and do thy works, and afterwards,
go alone to thy prayers and devotions, and lift up
thine heart to God, and pray Him that of His
goodness He will accept thy works that thou doest
and receive them to His honour and glory ; hold
them as nothing in thine own sight, nor lo be of
any worth save so far as God only out of His
goodness shall vouchsafe to accept of them ;
humbly acknowledgfe thy wretchedness and
frailly, really attributing thy good deeds to Htm ;
and so much as they have any goodness in them,
and inasmuch as they are bad, or not done
discreetly with ail circii instances requisite for
a good deed, ascribe them lo thyself, and then for
this humility shall all thy good deeds turn into
a flame of flr« as do sticks laid upon a coal ; and
thou thus doing, thy external good deeds shall not
hinder thy devotion but rather increase it. And
moreover, our Lord saith in holy Scripture thus;
J^rre shaii alwfiys hurn in My Aliar, tjnd thf Pnest
rising up in ifU morning shall pui wood th€reu?tta^
so ifmi Ihe fire may noi be txJin^ ishid.* Thj s fire
• Lev. vi, ij| rj.
] SO if
19 love and desire to God in a soul, the \chich fit*
requireth ^hax. it be nouri^hod and maintain^ bjr
laying 1o sticks^ so that it n^ay not g^o out;
and the^e sticks are ol divers mauers. as i-omeoi
one kind of wood and some of aiiotiier, A man
that is learned and hath some understanding
in the holy Scripture, if he have this fire of
devotion in his hpart, it is good for him to g^t hira
sticks of holy examples and devout praytTs, and
nourish the fire witli [hem. Another man that is
unlearned cannot so readily have at hand the
sayings of holy Scripture, or of Doctors for the
purpose, and therefore it is necessary for him lo
do many good external deeds to his Christiia
brethren, and thereby ma in Tain and exercise
towards them the iove he beareth them for God.
And so it is good thai each man in his degrw,
and according to nhat is most agreeable to the
benefit and disposition of hia soul, do gt^t him
sticks of one thing or another, as either by pray-
ing, considering'^ meditating- or reading' in some
g-ood and devout book, or in doing- of some
corporal or external work, thereby tor to nourish
in his soul the fire of love so that it may not b€*
come quenched ; for the affection of love is dainty
and tender, and will easily go oui and vanish
away unless it be well kept and continually
nourished by guod deeds or exercises, corporal or
spirituah
Now therefore, since our Lord hath put into
thine heart a litrle sparkle of this blessed fire,
that is Htmsclfx (as holy Scripture saith. Our
Lord 15 a consuming fir€;* for, as a material fire
wasteth all bodily tilings that may be waited, so
a spiritual fire, that is Godi wasteth all kind oi
sin, and therefore nur Lord is likened to
* DeuE. iv, 34 ; Heb. siji, 3^
to a Devout Man 337
wasting] I pray thee to nourish this fire withia
thee. This 6re iS nothing else but Love and
Charity. This hath He sent into the eanh, as
He sailh in the Gospel : / ^£im£ if> send fire into the
farth^aiid io whut endy hut thai it might hum ?' that
is, God hath put into man's soul a fire of love and
a ^'ood desire, and a great good will for to please
Him^ and that He hath done to this end, that
man should know it, keep it, and nourish it, and
strengthen and increase it, and thereby be saved.
The greater desire that thou hast to Him and for
Him, the greater is the fire of love in thee,
and the less that the desire is in thee, the less is
the fire> The quantity or measure of thy desire
within thee, how much it is, neither thyself doth
know, nor doth any man know how great it Is in
him, much less chi; quantity of love ihat is in an-
other man \ God only knoweth it, or he to whom
God shall reveal and make it known. And there-
fore dispute not with thyself as if thou wouldst
knowhowgreat thy desire is i be busy and serious
to desire as much as thou canst, but not to know
the quantity or measure of thy desire.
CHAPTER Vm
What the Desire of God for Himself ia and how that
in Ckannfu of CoGKience b found true Com'
fort and Sweetness
Saint Augustine saith 'hat (Jic hfe of a'cry good
Chrinttatt man is a conltnual desire to God, and
such desire is of great power and virtue, for it is
a great crying in the ears of God ; the more
fervently thou desirest, the higher thou criest,
the better thou prayest, and the wiser are thy
thoughts. And what is this desire P Surely
* Lnkv ±\\, 4Q.
21
338
Treatjse writtn
nothing but a loatliing of all this worldly blisa,
a forsaking of alt fleshly or sensual love in thine
heart> and an extreme loving, with a most hungry
longing and thirsiing after Grod and the ever-
lasting bliss of Heaven; this is that which may
be called a desire of God for Mimself.
If thou hast this desire, as I verily hope and be-
lieve that thou ha^t> I pray thee keep it w^II and
rourish it diligently; and when thou shalt pray
or meditate of God, make this desire of Him to
be tile beginning and final intention of such ihy
exercises, and of all other thy worlcs and deeds,
thereby to increase it. Seek and nourish only
this, and seek not after any feeling in thy cor-
poral senses, external or internal, nor any sen-
sible sweetness or devotion, neither by the ear
nor by the taste of thy palate, nor by any won-
derfiil light or sight of thy eyes, nor seek the
sight of Angels, no, though our Lord Himself
would appear in His body to the sight of thy
eyes, make no great matter of that; and there-
fore let all thy diligence be that thou mayest
truly and really perceive and find in thy soul,
and especially in thy will, a loathing and full
forsaking of all manner of sin and of all manner
of uncleanness, with a spiritual seeing or per-
ceiving how foul, how ngly and how painful
these things be; and that thou mayest have
within thee a mighty desiring of virtues, and,
namely, of humility and charity, and finally, of
the bliss of Heaven, This that I shall now tell
thee were (as I would think] a spiritual comfort*
and a spiritual sweetness in a man's soul; and
that is, to have cleanness in conscience from
wickedness and from all worldly vanities, \vith
A firm faith and humble hope and a full desire
of God, Howsoever it be for having of other
to a Devout Man
339
comforts and sweetnesses 1 esteem ihat sweet-
ness to be true, sound and secure that is found
in cleanness of conscience, with a strong will of
forsaking and loathing oi all sins, and with in-
ward si^'hc and ferveni desire of spiritual things ;
all other comforts and swcetnt-sses caused by
any manner of feelings, unless they lead or help
to the said end, tliat is, to cleanness of con-
science and spiritual desire of God, are not se-
cure to rest on.
But now thou wilt perhaps ask, •mheiher this
desire be li/vff to God J
As to ihai I answer and say : That this de-
sire is not properly love^ but a beginning and
taste of love, for love properly is a perf.rct uniting
and couplintj together of the lover and the loved
inCo one. Perfect love maketh God and the soul
to be as if chey both togeiher were bui one thinjf.
But such perfect coupling and union may not be
had in this life, buc only in desire and longing
thereto, as by the example that I shall now de-
liver thee. If a man love another man that is
absent, he greatly desireth his presence. Even
5o spiritually, as long as we arc in this life, our
Lord is absent from us, so that here we may
neither see Him nor feel Him as He is, and
therefore are not able (for want of such sight
and feeling) here to love Him in fulness and
perlection and in reality as we might do if we
had ihe sight of Him realiy, and as He is in His
own being'; the which, because we have not, nor
shall have in this life, therefore all that we can
do here is to have a desire and a gr^-at longing
and thir^^ting for to be present wiih Him and see
Him in His bliss* and to be fully and perfectly
united unto Him in love. This desire we may
have in us [of His gift) in this life, by the which
340
Treatise writlen
nil I
we shall be save<l, for it is love unto Him, such as
niay here be had, Sf Paul saith thus : IVe >to=p
M*r/ wktif we au in this body we are pilgnms 'or
strangers) from God* That is, we abide in this
earth, or banishment, absent from Heaven, fc
we here walk by failh, and not by sight [thai xs^
we here live in faith, not \^ real sig'ht of Him as
He is) : but we are bold, and have a good will
rather to be absent from the body, and to
present to our Lord (that is, we, through cleai
n?ss of constieTTce and sure trust of salvatioi
dare desire parting from our body by bodily
death, and thereupon to be present Co our Lord):
nevertheless, because as yet we may not, there-
fore we endeavour, whelher present or absent, to
please Him; that is, we strive agfainst the sinifl
of the world, and pleasures of the flesh, andV
sensuality^ by de.sire to Him, seeking to bum
and consume in the fire of such our desire all h
things that may let Or hJndtn^ us from Him. H
But thou wile perhaps further ask me :
Whtiher a man may conlinitally have this desin
in his heart t and thou perhaps thinkest that hi
cannot.
As lo that I will answer according to m\
opinion in it, which is, that thou mayest have'
this desire in ihlrie heart and intention virtually
or habitually, always and continually; but thou
can^t not so have it as to working or exercising
upon it, as thou mayest better understand by this
example. If thou wert sick, thou wouldst have,
as every man in auuh a case hath, continually
a natural desire in thine heart of bodily he^th ; _
and this whether thou be aMeep or awake, bulfl
art thinking of some worldly things; thou hast
then such a desire onlv in iiitention or habit, and
• X Cor, V, 6i
n
I
to a Devout Man
'4<
not in using or ac tmg upon ic. But wlien tiioa
thinkest on thy bodily sickness or on tliy bciikli,
then hajst thuu tliy saiJ desire ot health in u-ing
and aciing, hvt^n to it is spirituoUy in the dtj-
sire o( God, He who by tht yiU ul God liath
this deiire, though he sl**^ p, or else ihmkeih not
on God, but on some other worldly ihings, yet
hatTi he this desire in- his heart and soul till he
commit some deadly sin. But aa soon as he
thinketh on God or puriiy of life or the joys of
Heaven, then his desire to God workctb actually,
as long as he keepeLh his thouglit and iiiltnuon
to please God, either in prayers, meilititionK, or
any other >rood action, so that all his endeavour
be to excite this desire, and discreetly use it
sometimes in one deed, someiimes in another,
accorJingas he isdJsposed and liath grace thereto.
This desire is the root of all thy aclLOns that
are rewardable- For whatever good deed thou
doest for God's sake, whether it be bodily or
spiritual, as when thou prayeat or mediiaiest.
it is an exercising and \t-sing of this desire. And
therefore when thou doest any good work, scruple
not whether thou desiresc God or no, for thy
deed showeth thy desire. Some ignorantly con-
ceive that ihey desire not God except ihey be
ever calling upon Him either with thtir mouths
or their hearts ; and therefore they are con-
tinually saying, Lord save me^ or some such-like
words; which words indeed are good, because
ihey stir up the heart to a desiring of God, Yet
nevertheless, without any such words, a pure
thought of God, or any spiritual thing, or of
virtue, or the humanity of Christ, or joys of
Heaven, or understanding of the holy Scrip-
tures, with io^'e. may be better than such words.
And the more spiritual thy thought is, the more
L
is thy desire* Be not, therefore, in doubt whether
ihou desirest G'>d, when ihou ihinke&t upon H'm
or doest any outward good work to ihy neigh-
bour, for thy dt-eds show it. Nevertheless, though
all thy g*ood actions, spiritual and corporal, are
a demonslralioM ot thy desire to God. yet is there
a great diiTerence between ^pintual and corpor^K
deeds, for deeda of a Contemplative life are not ^H
outward as the oiher; and therefore when thou
praye>>t Unto, or meditatest upon God, thy desire
to Him IS more entire, more [erverjt, more spiri-
tual than when thou doest external works of chai
rity to thy neighbour.
I
Now, if thou ask me by what means Ih*
fihaU keep thi'* desire, and nourish it, I sh;
tell a little in that poirt, not wuh the meaning
that thou shalt or most use the self-same rora|H
that I teJi th€e for \\ \ but that thou thereby hav^^
some kind of general example, whereof thou shalt
make use upon thy need and according to thy
manner— not my manner> unless mine seem more
for thy purpose, for I neither may nor can tell
thee fully what is best for thee to use ; but I shall
tell thee somewhat according lo what I think.
CHAPTER IX
How ihou shall Dispose thee lo Dizvolioa
In the night after thy sleep, if thou wilt rise
pray and serve our Lord, thou shall feel thys*
at the first to be fleshly, heavy, and, as
were, drowned in sen*iuajity, and ofttimes im-
pertinent thoughts of the world or other vanities
pressing into thy mind. But then shalt thou
lo think fiome
disposi
pray,
go<
to a Devout Man
343
thought, for to revive and quicken thine heart
towards God, and do ihou use all thy discreet in-
dustry-, for the drawing up of thy thoughts from
^worldly vanities, and from vain imaginations
that come into thy mind, that so thou mayest
feel some devotion in such vocal prayers as
thou shalt then use, if thou use any such; or
else (if ihou wilt) enter thou into some spiritual
thoughts, whereby thou mayest not remain hin-
dered and troubled with auch vain thoughts ot
the world or of thy flesh. And now as for matter
of good thought'* for thee, thou must know that
there be divers matters of such thoughts or
meditations, but which of them were best for
thee 10 take and use I cannot tell thee.
But I trow that such mstter and manner of
thinking or meditating, wherein thou feelest
greatest gust, facility and ease or pleasure, is
best for thee to use so long as it continueth
50 grateful to ihy spirit. Thou mayest (if
thou wilt) sometimes think on thy sins here-
tofore committed t and of the fraiJties into
which thou daily fallest, and ask mercy and for-
giveness for them. Also after this thou mayest
think on the frailties and sins and miseries,
corporal and spiritual, of thy Christian brethren,
with pity and compassion of them, and ask
mercy and forgiveness for them as tenderly as
for thyself, and as if thou hadst done themi and
that is a good exercise for the time. For I tell
thee for truth that thou mayest make of other
men's sins a precious ointment for to heal thine
own soul, when thou thinkest on them with com-
passion and sorrow ffir them ; this ointment is
precious and very medicinaJ, though the spicery
or things whereof it is composed be not clean,
or otherwise wholesome \ for it is treacle or
344
Trcatiac writto
mithridate, made of poison for to do avray And
destroy poison ; that is to say, thine own and
other men's sins. If thou beat and bruise them
well with sorrow of thine heart, pity and cora-
pa^sior, they turn into treacle or mithridate, thii
will cleanse and make whole thy soul from pride
and envy, and bring into it love and charity lo
thy Christian brethren. Such thought is good
for thee aomelimes to take into thee.
CHAPTER X -
How a Man is to Think on the Humanity of Chnsi ^
Also for thy exercise of devotion thou mayesi
IhinV on the humanity of our Lord, as of His
birth, of His Passion or of any other of His
works, and feed thy thought with spiritual
imagination thereof, for to move thine affection
more to the love of Him. This thought (I mean
of something of our Saviour's humanity) is good
and expedient, namely, when it cometh freely
of God's gift, with devotion and fervour of spirit,
else a man will not likely Und taste or devoUoa
in it. And if he have it not with such facility
and sending of God, 1 think It not expedient that M
a man should much force himself in it, as if he |
would get it by violence ; for so doing he might
hurt his head and body too, and yet be never the^
nearer. Therefore t think that it is good fo£^|
a man to have in his mind and thought 5om9-^f
times our 5a\'iour'5 humanity, or some matter
thereof; and if devotion come withal, and relish
or gii^^t found in it, then to hold it and follow
it for a time, but leave off soon, and hang n(
long thereon, And if devotion come not b^
to a Devout Man
345
thinking of the Passion^ strive not, nor press loo
much for to have and come by such devotion
or fei?]ing in it, but take what will easily come ;
and if it come not easily betake thee to some
other matter, wherein thou Ehinkest or hopest
to find more devotion or gust.
h
CHAPTER XI
How A Man ahall think on Virtues and upon the
Sdials
Also other thoughts there be that are more
spirima.!, as to think on virtues, and to see by
light oi underslandinj^ the virtue of humility,
what it is, and what great reasons be why a man
should be humble; and also what is patience,
cleanness in soul, justice, charity, sobriety and
other such like virtues ; and how worthy it is
that a man should labour for the getting ot them,
and of the means by which they may be gotten,
and by such thoughts to have a great desire and
longing to the having of those virtues ; and abo
for to have a spiritual sight of the three principal,
or Theological Virtues, Faith, Hope and Charily,
By the sight and desire of these virtues a soul
Bhould see and feel much grace of our Lord,
without wliich grace a man's soul !s half blind^
and without spiritual sweetness or taste. Also,
for to think on the aaints, as the apostles,
martyrs, confessors ;ind holy virgins, beholding
in his interior their holy living and the grace
and virtues that our Lord gave them in iheir
life, and by the remembrance and consideration
hereof, to stir thy heart for to take example from
them for leading a better and perfecter life.
12*
Treatise writtec
CHAPTER XU
How A Man shall think ot the Holiness of our Lord
Je3U5 and of our Blcsscii hady
Also the thinking and considering- .'above a
other salntSj of our Lady 5V Afary and her escel-^
lency in grace and virtues is a gocxl matter for
raising- and exercise of devotion, by seeing with
thy spiritual eye the abundance of grace ihaC vm
in her holy soul when she was here living, which
our Lord had givRu her, above what He g^ve to
any of the other Saints ; for she was repleniabd
\vith all other virtues, without one spot of sin,
showing and manifesting by her life perfect
humility and fulness of charity, with the beauty
and excellence of all other virtues, th(» vhic
virtues altogether make her so holj-. that there
would no temptation, or Tnoiion of pride, en\x.
wrath or anger* sensual delight or of any ochn-
kind of sin or imperfection enter into her heart
or deftle her soul in any part of it. By the be-
holding of the beaut}' and excellency of this
blessed soul, a man's heart should be moved anc
put into a great spiritual delight and comfort.
And much more and abo\^ that is the behold-
ing of the soul of our Lord Jesus, the which so
of His was fully and wholly united to the divinity.;
excelling without any comparison our bles
Lady and all other creatures. For in the Passi
of Jesus are two natures, Uiat is, God and moin,
perfectly united together. By the virtue of thi
most blessed union, which cannot be expres
nor yet conceived by man's wit or undcr&landi
the soul of Jesus hath received the ]Krrfecii(
and fulness of all wisdom and goodness; as th
to a Devout Man
347
^posiis aailh ; The Julruss of the dtviutty doik
dwiU in CAri's/ car/v?rri//y ;' th^th, the divinity of
God was fuliy united to the humanity (or man's
nature) in the soul of Jesus, and so, by the meiins
of His soul dwelling in His body, the remem-
brance of the humanity of our Lord after this
manner (that is, to regard the virtues and sur-
passing grace of the soul of Jesus) should be
right comfortable to a man's soul.
CHAPTER Xra
Of seeing and beliolding the Power (by some coH'
sidcration op ihinking), the Wisdom, the Goodness
and the Mercy of God in His Creatures
Also the remembrance of the power, the wisdom
and the goodness of our Lord in all His creatures ;
for as much as we living- here on earth cannot
see God fully and as He is in Hi^ essence, there-
fore we are to see and behold Him, love and fear
Him upon the sight and consideration of His
cneatutes and His works; and in them also are
we to admire and wonder at His power and
goodness. Also, for to think on the mercy of
our Lord, that He hath showed to me and to
thee, and to all sinful captives that sometimes
were in bondage to the devil* through the great-
ness and multitude of our sins; how He patiently
suffered us to live in our sin, and in our heinous
contempts of Him, and work no reveng-e on us
for the same, as He most justly might have done,
and might most worthily have cast us down
headlong into Hell, if His love had not hindeivjd
Him i but out ot love He spared us^ and sent His
grace into our souls, taking us out of the state of
heinous &ins, and by His ^ace hath turned our
• Col ji, ^
348
Treatise ■writtm'
will entirely unto 111m, and made us ihereby,
for the having of Him, and for His love, to for-
sake all manner of sin. The remembrance of
His mercy and goodness, in these and m other
matters and points more and greater than I can
now reckon up, may justly rau^e and bring into i
soul a great truth and confidence in our Lord, and
a full hope of salvation, and greatly inflameththe
desire of love to aspire to the joys of Heaven.
CHAPTER XIV
How the Consideralion and thinkiaff on tde Miseritt
and PcriU of this Life ia apt to breed in a muI iliC
Desire oE Heaven
Also to think upon the miseries, mischiefs and
perils, corporal and spiritual, that happen in this
life; and after that to think of the joys of
Heaven, as bow great happiness is there, and
what wonderful joy and delight; for there is
neither siop nor sorrow, nor passion nor pain,
hunger nor thir&C, aches nor sickness, doubt nor
fear, shame nor blame, nor want of powt?r, nor
strength, nor lack of ligi^t, nor coldness in love;
but there is most excellent beauty, clearness,
strength^ health, everlasting delights, perfect
wisdc»m, love, peace, honour, security, rest, joy
and bliss in abundance without ever having any
end. The consideration of these points ought to
cause thee the more fervently to covet and desire
those everlasting joys and rest of that same most
blessed life. Many men are covetous of worldly
goods, honours and earthly riches, and thij "
both in dreaming and winking how and by wl
means Ihcy might come thereto; and then ihi
forget all care of their souls" good, and
to a Devout Man
349
thoughts of the pains of Hell, or of the joys of
Heaven. Surely these men are not wise ; Chey
are like to children that run after butter^ies, and.
because they look not to their feet, they some-
times easily fall down and break their legs.
What {& all the pomp, honours, riches and jollity
of this world but a butterfly } .Surely it ia no
more, yea, it is much less. Therefore, I pray
thee, be covetous of the joys of Heaven, and thou
shalt have honour and riches that shall last for
ever. For at the latter day, when worldly
covetous men bring no good in their hands
(because all their honour and riches, which they
only made account of, are turned into nothing
hilt sorrow and pain) then the good men of the
world, that have truly forsaken all vain honours
and riches of this worlds or else if they had them
they made no account in their hearts of iheiBj nor
did set their love or delight in them, but have
ever lived in the peace of God and in humility
and in hope, and sometimes in sorrows or afflic-
tions, and patienily expected the mercy of God ;
they (I say) shall then fullv attain that which
they here coveted, for they shall be crowned as
kings, and shall ascend up with our Lord into
the bliss of Heaven, Also there be many other
good considerations or thouglits (more than I can
speak of) that serve to stir and raise a man's
mind and afTeciion to loathe the vanities of this
world and to desire the joys of Heaven.
These mailers I have not mentioned unto
thee as if I had wiihal fully showed the manner
how they are exercised in a man's soul j but I
have only touched them a little, to the end thou
mightest, by so much the better, understand
these things for such use as thou canst best
e of them.
^^ak
Treatise -wrinen
CHAPTER XV
How a Mdn 3Ka.ll do wTien he feeletb no U5le 001
comfdrL in bis Menial Exercises
Nevertheless 1 would think it were good To
thee thai when thou disposest thee to think on
God, as I have before said, or ia any othct
manner, and peraJvenlure thou feelest no guM
nor devotion in thy exercUe, but only a naked
mind and a weak will; by which thou woulda
fain think on God, but canst not; then 1 think it
is good for thee that thou strive not too much
with thyself, for so thou mayest fall into greaier
darknes:^i unless thou knowest how to work monk
suhilely, and more above in spirit, and with all
quietness in the senses. But thou not knowing
how to do SQ for want of experience or ^kiU in it.
I hold it more secure for thee in such a case for
to say thy Paier ncslcr and thine Ava J^farta^ or
else thy Matins, or to read in thy Psalter, for
that IS evermore a sure standard that will not
fail. Whoso may cleave thereto he shall not err;
and if thou canst by thy prayer get devotion,
look then that this devotion be only in affection,
that is to say in a great desire toward God, with
a spiritual delight. Hold on then such thy saying
of those vocal prayers, and not easily break off:
for oftentimes it happeneth that praying with the
mouth gelteth and keepeth devotion, and if m
such a case thou cease from sayingj thy devotion
withal vanjsheth away.
Nevertheless, il Defection in prayer bring into
thine heart a devout thought of the humanity of
our Lord, or of any of the other matters before
mentioned by me, and this thought should
to a Devout Man 351
hindered by thy saying of the voca! prayers, then
will it be best for thee to cease from thy saying:,
and to teed thy mind and affection with the
thought of the said good matter till it leave thee
And be vani:^hed away.
CHAPTER XVI
Whit a Mm is to take beed of in his Prayers
and Me dilations
But of certain things it behoveth thee to beware
in thy meditations ; of some of them I shall tell
thee- One is chat when thou hast had a spiritual
thought or imagination of the humanity of our
Lord, or of other bodily things, and thy soul hath
been comforted and fed therewithj and afterward
it pasACth away of itr^elf ^ do not seek, as it were,
by mastery or force to hold it still, for then it
will turn thee into pain and bitterness. Also, if
it pass not away, but dwell stiU in thy mind,
without any travail or industry of thine, and
thou, for the comfort ihou findest in it, wilt not
leave it, and thereupon it still continuing- with
thee, Cometh to bereave or hinder thee of thy
sleep at nights, or else in the day limes hinrlereth
thee from other good deeds, or else through the
great fervour that it worketh in thy body, thy
body or thine head by it falleth into a great
feebleness; then must thou lessen or moderate,
and sometimes forbear such exercise of thine,
even when thou hast most devotion in it, or to
it, and wouldst otherwise be most loth to for-
bear it, or part from it ; and theretore thou must
needs use discretion in the matter, ior to avoid
those mischiefs, or any of them, which now 1
have reckoned up to ihce. or any other mischief
J
35a
Treatise written
or peril that may come to thee through in<^is-
creet lervour or love to ihose thy exercises;
and in particular, ^ivg it over when it is reason- )
able time lo give it over, or when thy CEiristiao .
brother may receive harm, or take just offence
at thee by CfCgasion of thy long slay at such ihy
devotions, Ir thou do othtrwise in this matter
than I have told thee, I think thou dost not well
nor wisely in it. I
A worldly man or woman that peradventure
feels not devotion twice in a year, if he {through
the grace of our Lord Jesus) feel great compunc-
tion for his sins, or think seriously or devoutly
on the Passion of our Lord, or upon any other
good matter, if he by occasion thereof, and his
devotion therein, be put from his sleep and his
reht, for one, or two, or tliree nights, until bis
head ache, it tnakes no great mailer, nor will
he be the worse for it ; such devotion Cometh
but seldom upon such persons. But as for theai
or any other man or woman, that every day duly
performest, or haih such devotions, and iniend-
est to continue in pursuing of such daily exer-
cises, it is expedient for thee to use and hold
discretion in thy performance of those thy exer-
cises, and not fully to yield and plunge thyself
into devotion, so Uv as it will offer itself unto
thee, but moderate thyself in it, and take it
moderately, though it offer itself to thee in
abundance.
Also I hold it good, that thou observe this
discretion in thy exerci^e^ which is, that thou
tarry not too long at it, that thereby thou put
thyself from taking thy meat or of thy sleep,
when the time shall be for taking of them, or do
give just cause of displeasure or damage to any
other man, through occasion of overloog tuny-
to a Devout Man
353
ing at ^uch thy devotion. The wise man saith:
That aU things have thetr ttme*
Another thing which behoveth thee to beware
of is that when thy mind hath been employed
for a time in the imagination of the humanity of
our Saviour, or any other good matter, and after
this thoa seekest with all the desire of thine
heart, for to have a more spiritual knowing or
feeling of the divinity ; press no: too much upon
such desire, nor suffer the desire of thine heart to
tarry too long therein, as if Ihou wert expecting
and tanying for some better or higher elevation
of thy spirit, or for a feeling that had more
worth or excelling in it than any thou hast
hitherto had. Thou shalt not do so. It is enough
for thee and for me for to have a desire and
a longing to our Lord; and if He out of His
grace and goodness will vouchsafe, over and
above such desires of ours, freely, and of His
own accord, to aend us of His spiritual light,
and open our spiritual eye, for to see or ^now
more of Him than heretofore he did or could,
by our own labour and industry, let us thank
him for it ; but if He do not (because we are
not as yet humble enough, but were likely to
grow proud by reason of such extraordinary
favours, if He bestowed them on us, or are not
disponed in other respects, and namely, by clean-
ness of conscience through welt living, for to
ftceive such grace and favour at His hands),
then let us humbly acknowledge our own un-
worthiness, and hold ourselves satisfied wich the
desire we have of Htm, and with other common
good thoughts, that may easily be had and used
by our imagination ; as thinking of our sins,
of Christ's Passion, or other such like ihinps.
J:,i.iJc» i\u
354
Treatise writtefl
or else with some vocal prayers of the PsalW
or other vocal prayers* and thank Him with
all our hearts, thai He bestoweth upon us any
portion of His grace or fasour, thoug:h it be
the least that any man ba.th- And if thou do
otherwise, thou mayest easily be deceived {for
thy presumption) by ibe spirit of error; for it
is a great folly for a man of his own head or
wilfulness lo press or strain himself too much,
to get into the sight or exercise of spiritual
things further than he seeth well that he hath
invitation and enablement for it. For the wise
man saiih that the starchet of (he Majesty (a/
Gad) ihitll be oppressed by the gtory of Him ; * for
not having humility, cleanness and worthiness
in soul, for such a sight be shall be cast down,
and made to know himself better than he did
through this confusion. And therefore the same
wise man in another place saith thus ; Do net
suk f&r things that arc higher, Twr search inh
things that pasi thy stretigth ; t that is to say, high
things that are above thy natural reason and
apprehension seek not after, and great matters
that are above thy ability or strength do not
search into. By these words the wise man doth
not wholly forbid us to seek after and desire
the knowing and having of spiritual and
heavenly things^ but he forbiddeth us to seek
for them In a preposterous manner, which is
too soon, and sooner than we are fit for them
or that God calleth us to them, as when we are
as yet sensual, and not cleansed from the vain
love of the world ; being in that decree, we
are not to take upon us as if we could or
would by our labour or industry, or by our
own wit, enable ourselves to discern, see cr
to a Devout Man
355
know spiritual things, or procure in ua great
fervour of the love of God ; so that albpic we
see that we set at nought all worldly thing's,
and it seem to us that we would for God's
love forsake all the wealthy honour and joys of
this world ; yet for all this we are unfit and
indisposed for to seek and behold spiritual
things that are above us, until our souls
through precedent exercises of the imagination,
become to be more subtle, or as it were thin,
or somewhat spiritual, and wilhal he become
well mortilied and settled in virtues by pro-
cess of time and by increase in grace. For
{as St Gregory saith) no man suddenly (or
hastily) becometh supreme or perfect in grace,
but beginneLh with little, and proceedeih on by
little and little, until that he come to be per-
fect, the which God grant that we all may one
day t>e. Amen.
Fnns,
4
^
i
■^T
^
THE BORROWER WILL B£ CHARGED
AN OVERDUE FEE IF THIS BOOK 15
NOT RETURNED TO THE LIBRARY
ON OR BEFORE THE LAST DATE
STAMPED BELOW, NON RECEIPT OF
OVERDUE NOTICES DOES NOT
EXEMPT THE BORROWER PROM
OVERDUE r£CS.
i
...l^Ml^A^i
Live Music Archive
Librivox Free Audio
Metropolitan Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Internet Arcade
Console Living Room
Books to Borrow
Open Library
TV News
Understanding 9/11